Manila, July 08: Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said today her government may suspend arrest warrants against Muslim guerrillas accused of deadly bomb attacks to allow peace talks to resume. Arroyo, however, said leaders of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front should work to have the warrants suspended by the courts - which the guerrillas immediately rejected.

"We are open to the suspension of warrants by the court if this is necessary (to) move the peace talks forward," Arroyo said in a statement, adding that the move was aimed at building confidence between the two sides. Rebel spokesman Eid Kabalu described Arroyo's offer as a ruse to force the guerrillas to break their long-standing policy of shunning Philippine courts and laws.

"They want the MILF to stoop from its immovable position of not recognising the Philippine constitution," Kabalu said.

Such differences reflect the complications plaguing on-and-off peace talks with the guerrillas, who have been fighting for a separate Muslim homeland in the south of the Philippines - a predominantly Roman Catholic country with a Muslim minority. Formal talks were planned for early this year before the military launched a major offensive against an MILF stronghold where officials said criminals and a notorious kidnap gang had taken refuge.

The guerrillas then threatened to retaliate with attacks. A series of deadly bombings and ambushes were blamed by the government on the MILF.

Bureau Report