Philippines calls ceasefire with Muslim separatists

President Gloria Arroyo calls ceasefire in a bid to bring peace to the southern Philippines

In this story: One more hurdle Abu Sayyaf excluded RELATED STORIES

By Staff and wire reports

MANILA, Philippines -- Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered a ceasefire with one of two Muslim separatist rebel groups in the southern Philippines.

Arroyo said that the ceasefire with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) would take effect "immediately," reviving hope that stalled peace talks with the rebels would go ahead.

She did not state when the ceasefire would end, but said that it would enable more than 200,000 people displaced by fighting to return to their homes.

Peace talks between Manila and the MILF collapsed in August last year after then president Joseph Estrada ordered an all-out offensive against the rebels.

AUDIO Presidential spokesman Renato Corona: "A confidence building measure" 317K/29 sec. AIFF or WAV sound

Earlier this month, Arroyo formed separate peace panels to talk with separatist and communist rebels.

One more hurdle

The MILF has not yet decided who to appoint to its peace panel, even as Arroyo tasked presidential assistant for Mindanao affairs Jesus Dureza to be the government panel's head.

The MILF is still waiting for word on its request that warrants of arrest for its top leaders be withdrawn.

Defense secretary Eduardo Ermita, however, expressed optimism that the arrest warrants would soon be lifted. "Very soon," he said.

The Estrada administration ordered the arrest of MILF leaders including chairman Salamat Hashim in connection with mall bombings in May last year, shortly after the military bombarded rebel camps including their main headquarters, Camp Abubakar.

MILF rebels were also the main suspects in a bloody bomb blast aboard a rail car in Manila last December 30 which killed about 60 commuters.

The MILF is one of two Muslim separatist groups based in the southern Philippine region of Mindanao, which have been fighting for an independent Islamic state for decades.

Retiring Armed Forces chief Gen. Angelo Reyes said he is "not bothered" by the ceasefire, in spite of having served in the Estrada administration and ordered military offensives on MILF camps in Mindanao.

Reyes, who is being considered for the post of defense secretary after he retires next month, supported a popular revolt in January which ousted then President Estrada.

Abu Sayyaf excluded

President Arroyo said the government's suspension of military operations would not cover the Muslim extremist group Abu Sayyaf.

Arroyo said this the same day Abu Sayyaf leader Abu Sabaya said that they had tortured an American citizen, Jeffrey Schilling, it had been holding hostage since August.

The Abu Sayyaf hit international headlines in April last year when it kidnapped 21 Westerners and Asians at a Malaysian island beach resort and brought them to rebel hide-outs in Jolo province, one of the Philippines' southernmost provinces.

The last of the hostages has not yet been released, although the rest have returned to their home countries after months in captivity.

Schilling was kidnapped after visiting the Abu Sayyaf rebels with his wife, a cousin of Sabaya.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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New Philippine president tries to 'hit the ground running'
U.S. hostage calls for cease-fire in southern Philippines

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