ZAMBOANGA CITY—The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Wednesday welcomed the Libyan government’s effort to help maintain the cease-fire in Mindanao, but doubts if Libyan peace monitors can lead the International Monitoring Team (IMT).

In a statement posted on the MILF’s web site, MILF deputy chairman for political affairs Ghazali Jaafar said the IMT Terms of Reference (TOR) explicitly provides that the IMT shall be headed by Malaysia, but other countries and international organizations, as may be agreed by both the MILF and the government, shall be invited to participate in the IMT.

Jaafar said the TOR cannot be changed, except when the two parties, the government and the MILF, meet and amend the IMT-TOR, which is remote under current status of the peace talks.

The government and the MILF peace panels signed the IMT-TOR on September 8, 2004, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Datuk Othman bin Abdulrazak signed the document as chief Malaysian facilitator.

Jaafar said if the two peace panels resume the talks soon, the MILF will not agree to discuss the IMT issue because this is a side issue; the main agenda is the finalization of the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain.

“The MILF welcomes the gesture of the Libyan government to help the cease-fire hold in Mindanao, but to replace Malaysia as lead country in the 60-man IMT is entirely a different matter,” he said.

MILF deputy chairman for information Khaled Musa accused National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales and Secretary Jesus Dureza, presidential peace adviser, of bad faith “for trying to secure the nods of our Libyan brothers onboard the IMT in full force at the back of everybody and without following the TOR of the IMT.”

“This is sowing intrigue and darkness among the direct players in the peace talks. This is unacceptable. It will not work,” Musa said.

Dureza was quoted by the MILF as telling newsmen that he will meet with Gonzales, who will arrive this week, to discuss the takeover by Libyan troops of the IMT leadership.

Libya has played an important role as facilitator in Mindanao’s peace process, including negotiations between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front.

The Philippine Information Agency quoted Dureza on Monday as saying that the Libyan government has agreed to send 25 cease-fire monitors to assist sustain the cease-fire in Mindanao.

“I received an overseas call from Secretary Bert Gonzales, who is in Tripoli, that the Libyan government will send an initial contingent of four monitors,” Dureza said.

At present, six Libyan monitors had been assigned to man the IMT site in Iligan City, and the arrival of four more will complete the 10-member contingent Libya committed in 2004.

“We welcome this good news. We thank this gesture of faith to our peace process and we continue to hope for Libya’s sustained and deepening participation in the IMT,” Dureza said.

The actual deployment, however, will have to depend on mutually agreed arrangements with the proper levels of the MILF.

“We are confident that all sectors will welcome this positive development,” Dureza added.

The Malaysian government started last week pulling out its forces from the different IMT sites.

Of the 41 Malaysian personnel, only 12 were left in IMT Site 1 in Cotabato City. They are set to leave in August when the IMT term expires.

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ZAMBOANGA CITY—The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Wednesday welcomed the Libyan government’s effort to help maintain the cease-fire in Mindanao, but doubts if Libyan peace monitors can lead the International Monitoring Team (IMT).

CITING a BusinessMirror exclusive report that the Philippines is “one of the worst places for mothers,” Sen. Edgardo Angara has asked Congress to conduct an in-depth inquiry into cases of maternal and newborn deaths in order to prevent  further increase in the country’s maternal mortality ratio (MMR).