Philippines government will continue with peace talks even as it pursues "criminal elements" as called "All-out-for-justice" among the Muslim rebels for the recent killings of soldiers, the chief government negotiator said.
The deaths of as many as 40 soldiers, police and civilians in the past two weeks would hopefully not prevent planned peace talks from moving forward next month; chief peace negotiator Teresita Quintos Deles told government radio.
She said President Benigno Aquino III was still pushing through with the talks despite angry calls for an "all-out-for-justice" against the country's main Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
"We will pursue law enforcement [operations] against criminal elements but we will also continue the peace process. So we will separate that from the talks with the MILF.
"We really have to find a solution to the problem... where criminal elements sometimes mix with MILF forces on the ground," she added.
In the past two weeks, government forces in pursuit of wanted criminals have been attacked by Muslim rebels in a remote region of Zamboanga Sibugay province in lawless Mindanao Island, and in the nearby island of Basilan.
The killing of so many soldiers, police and civilians stoked public anger at the MILF who have been engaged in peace talks with the government since 2003 and have a ceasefire in place for the negotiations.
The MILF only disowned the gunmen involved in the Zamboanga Sibugay clash on Tuesday in the face of a massive military offensive, but also admit to killing 19 soldiers in Basilan, saying they had intruded into the rebels' territory.
More than 28,000 people were forced to flee their homes in Zamboanga Sibugay and Basilan due to the fighting with the Muslim rebels.
The government and MILF panels will have to meet in Kuala Lumpur in early November to try and thrash out the disagreements so that the peace talks can move forward, said Deles.
"This discussion is needed to see what we can do to establish accountability and to hold those responsible and to ensure these kinds of incidents do not happen again," she said.
The 12,000-strong MILF have said they remain committed to talks aimed at ending a decades-old rebellion that has left 150,000 dead since the 1970s.
5 Million Government Aid for MILF –Malaysian Conspiracy fund
It has become a big issue where Senator Francis Escudero question the palace why giving money to the MILF which been alleged and leaks that it has been used to purchased new high powered armaments for the Muslim rebels to fight against the Philippines' government.
The rumors were answered by the MILF that the 5 Million government aid for the MILF is still in the bank and they are open for audits as they denied they did not use the fund to purchase armaments.
Residents question where could be the MILF found source of fund to purchased new armaments to fight against the government wherein the international terrorist rebel is already dead? (referring to Osama Bin Laden)
Whistle blower from another muslim rebels groups leaked that they receive fund from Malaysian group to purchase armaments to fight against the Philippines government to destabilize the Aquino economic reform and to ruin the plan of Sultan Kiram in pushing to Philippines Government to takeover the North Borneo (Sabah)
The muslim rebel group admitted that they are receiving funding for their family from the unknown group in Malaysia to escalate attacks around the islands.
Malaysia has been worry of the fast economic progress of the Philippines which the country's power and stability might trigger to control back the North Borneo which is under control now by the Malaysian Government.
Malaysia remain insecure of the status of the North Borneo (Sabah) as is its legally own by the heirs of the Sultanate State of Sulu of which Sultan Kiram recognized himself as a Filipino and called his people in Sabah (North Borneo) as Sabahans – Filipinos.
