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| Muslim rebel leader hopeful of peace pact with Aquino regime |
The leader of the Philippines` long-running Muslim insurgency said Monday he was hopeful of signing a peace deal during new President Benigno Aquino`s six-year term.
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leader Murad Ebrahim said rebel negotiators were prepared to resume peace talks with the government after the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in September, as announced by Aquino earlier.
"We can see that they (Aquino`s government) are really addressing the problems of the Bangsa Moro (local Muslims)," Murad told reporters at a rebel camp outside the southern city of Cotabato.
"He has six years to resolve the problem. If he is really sincere, we can`t go wrong in solving the problem in his time.
"We really want to finish this insurgency in our lifetime because the next generation of fighters are more radical."
The 12,000-strong MILF has been waging an insurgency to carve out a separate Muslim state in the mostly Catholic country`s southern island of Mindanao.
The rebellion has killed over 150,000 people over the past three decades, as well as stunted the growth of the mineral rich southern region.
Aquino`s predecessor, Gloria Arroyo, failed to sign a peace deal with the MILF during the nine years she was in power. She stepped down on June 30, as mandated by the constitution.
Large scale fighting erupted in 2008 when rogue MILF commanders launched attacks in response to the Supreme Court outlawing a proposed deal that would have given them control over vast tracts of land.
Over 750,000 people were displaced at the height of the fighting, triggering a humanitarian crisis.
About 400 civilians and fighters from both sides were also killed.
Both sides agreed to a ceasefire last year, but the MILF opted to stall peace talks until Arroyo stepped down.
In an address to Congress last month, Aquino said talks with the MILF would resume after Ramadan, which ends in the Philippines in mid September.
"We will only achieve lasting peace if all stakeholders engage in an honest dialogue," Aquino said then.
