Home 
MANILA, Philippines?The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is not involved in the slaughter of at least 57 civilians, government chief peace negotiator Undersecretary Rafael Seguis of the Department of Foreign Affairs said Sunday.
In a phone interview with INQUIRER.net, Seguis said the massacre in Maguindanao is unlikely to disrupt the peace talks between the government and the MILF which he said is scheduled to start in Kuala Lumpur in a couple of weeks.
Andal Ampatuan Jr., principal suspect in the massacre, had blamed the MILF for it.
When asked if the massacre is going to affect the peace talks, he said: ?Of course not. The massacre had nothing to do with the MILF. The MILF is not involved in it. The moment (the incident) erupted, MILF forces withdrew from the area and stayed clear of the area of conflict.?
At the same time, Japan joins Turkey in the peace talks as friends of the peace process, Seguis said.
Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Makoto Katsura wrote Seguis and his MILF counterpart, Mohagher Iqbal, of Japan?s acceptance to become a member of the International Contact Group (ICG).
According to the terms of reference arrived at consensus on November 16 this year, the ICG covers both states and non-states and would complement the existing facilitation mechanism (provided by Malaysia) and peace process architecture.
Ad hoc in nature and issue-specific in its engagement, the ICG may give impartial advice to either party or both. It may also accept tasking from the facilitator and the parties, as well as issue public statements decided by consensus.
Seguis also said that the United Kingdom is set to also accept the two parties? invitation to join the ICG.
Asked if some anti-Muslim sentiments arising from the November 23 massacre would derail the peace talks, the head of the government peace panel said: ?(The massacre) has nothing to do with culture. I believe it will not affect the peace process.?
?It is difficult to compare the people involved. Individuals have different characters that don?t reflect the character of the whole tribe, the whole community,? he added.
Seguis reiterated the Philippine government?s resolve to finish negotiation and complete the peace agreement by the time President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo?s term ends on June 30, 2010.
After years of ceasefire, firefights erupted in August 2008 between government and MILF forces after the Supreme Court stopped the signing of the memorandum of agreement that recognizes the Moro?s ancestral domain over parts of Mindanao, with the possibility of enlarging the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao after a plebiscite among the residents.
Informal peace talks between the two parties resumed only recently.
