MANILA, 26 June 2003 — The Philippines has asked four Islamic countries, led by Malaysia, to monitor a cease-fire under consideration with Muslim separatist rebels, officials said yesteray.

Foreign Secretary Blas Ople said Libya, Bahrain and Bangladesh were the other countries being asked to participate in monitoring a possible truce with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

No cease-fire agreement has been reached but the MILF said yesterday that representatives from the two sides have signed a document reaffirming the result of their meeting on March 28 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim, MILF military affairs chief and peace panel head, said the document is actually the minutes of their Kuala Lumpur meeting, during which they agreed to call for a pullout of government troops from MILF-controlled areas, particularly the Buliok complex in Pikit, North Cotabato.

MILF chief spokesman Mohagher Iqbal claimed that the two sides agreed tentatively to resume talks July 11 if remaining issues can be resolved. Government officials refused to comment.

Kabalu said the agreement also called for the quashing of arrest warrants for top MILF leaders in connection with a series of bombings and raids, the entry of international teams to monitor a cease-fire, a pledge by Manila to channel money to MILF agencies to fund development activities in Mindanao.

“It was a successful meeting,” Kabalu said, referring to the informal talks in Malaysia. “Our hope now is that the agreement can be translated into action. Our people have suffered enough. We want peace and prosperity.”

Kabalu said Malaysia, which had been hosting exploratory and informal talks between the two sides, had pressed the MILF to exercise patience and restraint in launching offensives. “We will abide by the request. We will ensure our fighters are disciplined. We will not strike unless to defend ourselves,” he said.

Asked about the significance of the meeting in Malaysia, Kabalu said: “It sets the stage for the resumption of peace talks with Manila.”

“We are just waiting for the government to declare a suspension of military action. After their declaration, then we will push for the scheduling of the formal peace talks,” he said.

In Manila, however, spokesmen of the government peace panel said they had received no word of any such agreement and stressed that the informal talks in Malaysia were not aimed at forging any accord.

In Malaca?ang, presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye reiterated yesterday that peace talks would only start once Hashim came out of hiding and sat on the negotiating table.

The MILF on Tuesday released a statement saying Hashim was “ready to lead the negotiations,” but Bunye said government peace negotiators were still awaiting an “official reply on the matter.”

Bunye said any agreement with the MILF should be a “comprehensive settlement-political, economic, social.”

“These peace talks should result in a complete package,” he said.

Even so, Bunye said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had asked Malaysia to send a “cease fire observer team” to the Philippines in preparation for the resumption of formal peace talks with the MILF.

“We are interested in the creation of a cease-fire observer team,” Bunye said over government radio.

Secretary Ople said the four OIC members are being invited as individual countries and not as OIC representatives.

“We are not keen to internationalize this issue further by involving the OIC,” he told reporters. “We will invite individual countries of the OIC to contribute to the peace and development of Mindanao, but not the OIC as such.”

Malaysian Ambassador Mohamed Taufik said his country was considering the request, adding the four countries would consult among themselves.

Bangladesh Charge d’Affaires Munir Uz-Zaman said his country would be willing “to do anything that will help peace in the Philippines,” but that he could not comment until his government gets a formal invitation from Manila.

Taufik urged the Philippine government and the MILF to allow “really conducive” conditions for both parties to resume formal negotiations. The talks, brokered by Malaysia, broke down earlier this year amid a series of bombings and attacks the military blamed on the rebels.

Taufik said arrest warrants and bounties for top MILF leaders, and the continuing demand of the MILF for a return of former military camps captured by the government, could hamper the talks.

“If there is an obstacle and major impediment, I think either party should remove those impediments,” Taufik told The Associated Press.

He said Malaysian officials handling back-channel talks in Kuala Lumpur conveyed these sentiments to the Philippine government, including the view that criminal charges against MILF leaders should be dropped.

“Otherwise, will they be able to go to the negotiations?” Taufik asked.

On Tuesday, Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said Malaysia was concerned about the cost of the mission and the safety of its personnel.