DAVAO CITY—US Ambassador Kristie Kenney and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Chairman Murad Ebrahim had a historic meeting on Tuesday in the MILF camp in Maguindanao, but both sides declined to divulge the subject of their meeting.

The meeting was described only as cordial and while Kenney declined to comment to reporters in Cotabato City, Murad said the US ambassador inquired about “the status of the peace talks and that the US envoy has high hopes that it would succeed.”

An MILF statement posted on the Internet said the meeting with Kenney was intended “to forge a better understanding and to work for peace in Mindanao.”

Kenney did not stay long after meeting Murad, who also gave a gift. She separately met the Central Committee officials of the MILF, then went to the Cotabato City airport.

In a brief interview with news reporters, Kenney only said that the meeting was a “private visit.”

Murad also declined to comment on whether they talked about the Balikatan exercises, scheduled between late February and middle of March. “I cannot say anything more, I’m sorry,” the MILF statement quoted Murad as saying.

He said he “welcome[s] her efforts to reach us in the name of peace,” Murad said.

The MILF described Kenney’s visit as one that accords the organization official recognition. “This is very meaningful and significant as far as the MILF is concerned as an emerging legitimate revolutionary organization and representative of the Bangsamoro people,” the statement said, quoting an unnamed official as saying.

The MILF said,  “In the past, Washington has not dealt with the MILF on official status, more particularly when the United States Institute of Peace, a nongovernment organization but funded by the United States government, was tasked to deal with the MILF and the peace process.”

But this approach, said the statement, “was elevated to official level after the United States, through its Embassy in Manila, decided to deal with the MILF directly as early as November 2005 that resulted in several meetings between the MILF and US embassy officials.  This deal reached its highest level when Ambassador Kenney visited the MILF, led by Murad, at Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Shariff Kabunsuan, yesterday [Tuesday].”

The MILF said that Camp Darapanan, the venue of the meeting, “used to be one of the major camps of the MILF acknowledged by the government before, but now it is home to the offices of the MILF peace panel and the Bangsamoro Development Agency [BDA].”

“Those security forces manning some checkpoints or providing security to everyone, including MILF officials and visitors, are more symbolic, because the MILF no longer maintains fixed camping in its bid to defend the Bangsamoro people from harm,” the MILF said.

Kenney was accompanied by five other American officials, including Paul John, the US Embassy deputy chief of mission; Jon Lindberg, director of the United States Agency for International Development; Col. Bill Coultrup, commander of the US forces in Mindanao; Dave Maxwell, a political-military officer; and an unnamed security officer, according to the MILF.

With Murad were some senior members of the MILF Central Committee—Aleem Abdulazis Mimbantas, MILF deputy chairman for military affairs; Ghazali Jaafar, MILF deputy chairman for political affairs; and Mohagher Iqbal, chief of the MILF committee on information and chief MILF peace negotiator.

The MILF said Kenney was greeted by MILF fighters wearing combat uniform and armed with M16 rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

Members of the MILF peace panel, led by Mohagher Iqbal and accompanied by Atty. Datu Michael Mastura, met and led them to the venue of the meeting where Murad and party were waiting.

“Immediately, Murad invited her to a closed-door meeting, which lasted for almost one hour. Thereafter, Murad led her to another conference room where all the other members of the MILF central committee and the rest of her team, who were also exchanging views on various matters, especially on the Balikatan exercises in Mindanao, and the US humanitarian mission in Mindanao, were waiting,” the statement said.

“After the introduction of those present and the opening statements by both Murad and Kenney, the groups proceeded to a nearby auditorium for a tea break and a cultural entertainment.”

Palace: Conditions not conducive for ‘Edsa’; police on normal alert

Malacañang said on Wednesday that present conditions in the country are not conducive to a successful people power bid, and again urged President Arroyo’s detractors to just wait for the next national polls in 2010 to change the leadership.

A senior Roman Catholic bishop is hoping that the February 29 interfaith prayer rally would lead to President Arroyo’s resignation as various groups come together in response to the clergy’s call for “communal action” and a “brand-new people power.”

DAVAO CITY—US Ambassador Kristie Kenney and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Chairman Murad Ebrahim had a historic meeting on Tuesday in the MILF camp in Maguindanao, but both sides declined to divulge the subject of their meeting.

THE Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando (MMO) River System—tagged recently as one of the world’s dirtiest—finally faces rehabilitation with the help of the environment department, local government units (LGUs), other concerned government agencies and private institutions.

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Jema’ah Islamiyah (JI) bomber Dulmatin, whose complete name is Amar Usmanan, spearheaded the abduction of a priest-director and a teacher of a Catholic-run secondary school last month in the province of Tawi-Tawi.

DAVAO CITY—The Indonesian vice consul said he would favor stationing Indonesian antiterrorist troops here to help clamp down on the suspected traffic of Indonesian terror suspects believed to be hiding or getting their training in Southern Philippines.

ZAMBOANGA CITY—The two-day Second Tripartite Meeting among the government, Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Organization of Islamic Conference  ended with an agreement to formulate “possible proposals” to amend the law on Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to ensure the full implementation of the 1996 peace pact with MNLF.

THE “ecosystem of corruption” and “oligarchy” that prevails in the government is well-embedded in the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), agrarian-reform groups said.