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MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said his group’s panel flew to the Malaysian capital last Monday.
But Kabalu, in a phone interview, said he does not know yet if talks have already started because Malaysia is “very secretive” about the meeting. The MILF’s website (luwaran.com) said that the talks started Monday and expected to today.
“But one thing is clear. They are there to resume peace talks stalled by the ancestral domain issue,” he added.
“We expect that substantial points will be achieved this time by both sides so that the peace process could move forward and we could have a political solution to the conflict in Mindanao,” Kabalu said.
The ancestral domain aspect is the last agenda in the GRP-MILF Tripoli Agreement on Peace of June 22, 2001. Both panels earlier signed agreements on security in 2001 and relief and rehabilitation the following year.
Prof. Rudy Rodil, vice chairman of the government peace panel, earlier conceded that the ancestral domain issue is difficult to settle. He declined to elaborate on the specifics of the territory issue due to its sensitivity and “so as not to break the confidence” of the MILF.