Philippine rebel head hopes to sign peace agreement under Aquino administration

The head of the Philippines' largest rebel group expressed on Monday the hope to sign a final peace deal under President Benigno Aquino III in a bid to resolve the decades-old rebellion problem in the south.

"If he's really sincere, we can't go wrong of solving the problem in his time. But if not, he's just the same with other President," Iqbahim Murad, chief the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, told a group of foreign correspondents in the Philippines visiting Camp Darapanan, their main camp, on Monday.

Murad said they have around 120,000 fighters all over Mindanao who have been longing to attain the armed conflict resolution.

"We really want to finish this problem in our lifetime. There is a concern; the next generation is more militant and radical. We can feel that among our younger generation," Murad said.

At the same time, the rebel's leader believed the Aquino administration is doing something to move forward the peace talks but more on counter-insurgencies.

In August 2008, MILF rebels staged series of attacks on civilian communities when the peace talks between them and government collapsed after the Supreme Court stopped the signing of a memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain. Once signed, both sides are expected to work towards a final peace deal.

Source: Xinhua