Trader named 5th member of peace panel with MILF

MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has named the fifth and last member of the government panel that will negotiate with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Lawyer-businessman Tomas Cabili will now join the five-man team composed of Agrarian Reform secretary Nasser Pangandaman, former Cotabato representative and General Santos City mayor Adelberto Antonino, and former Mindanao and sectoral representative Ronald Adamat. The team is chaired by Foreign Affairs undersecretary Rafael Seguis. Mrs Arroyo initially abolished the government’s panel after an impasse in the negotiations stemming from disagreements over the cancelled proposed memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD) and the attacks on civilians made by disgruntled MILF members. The President made the appointments despite pronouncements from the MILF that they would only return to the negotiating table if the government would honor the cancelled MOA-AD. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the MILF should bear in mind that the Philippine government from the start had vowed to go and abide by the rule of law. Ermita expressed hope that everyone would be more reasonable and return to the negotiations to re-discuss "not just the issues struck down and passed judgment by the Supreme Court." The SC has ruled that some provisions in the proposed MOA-AD were unconstitutional. - GMANews.TV