June 19, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 14, 1429

MANILA, June 18: President Gloria Arroyo said on Wednesday her government was set to resume stalled peace talks in the southern Philippines with Muslim separatists.

Arroyo said she would present a draft agreement to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) over control of disputed territories — an issue that led MILF to suspend the talks last year.

“I now direct our negotiators to present our government position to MILF so we can quickly resume the stalled negotiations and hasten the signing of the peace agreement with MILF,” Arroyo said in a speech in the southern city of Davao. She did not provide details of the draft agreement, which the National Security Council has approved and will be sent to MILF’s leadership.

The 12,000-member MILF had previously demanded that the Muslim minority retain economic and political control of so-called ancestral lands the group wants combined into a self-rule area under the peace pact.—AFP