ZAMBOANGA CITY, 14 July 2003 — Malaysia’s military said yesterday it is ready to send officers to monitor a cease-fire between the Philippine government the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the southern Philippines.

“If the Cabinet approves it, then we must be there. We are always prepared,” Deputy Defense Minister Shafie Apdal was quoted by the state news agency Bernama as saying.

Manila had asked Malaysia to lead several other Muslim countries in monitoring the cease-fire, with President Gloria Arroyo saying Malaysian presence would “deter terrorist acts” and enable “an effective, durable cease-fire process” with the country’s largest Muslim separatist group.

But Manila and the MILF are apparently still not ready to resume their stalled peace negotiations.

Yesterday, the two sides continued their tug-of-war over criminal charges filed by state prosecutors against the MILF’s leaders over a spate of bombings that have killed scores of civilians in Mindanao this year.

Malaysia, which is brokering the peace talks, had asked the Philippine government to lift the arrest warrants against the MILF leaders so that the talks could proceed. Among those charged was Murad Ebrahim, head of the MILF peace panel.

Manila had said it was willing to remove the arrest warrants but demanded that MILF lawyers initiate the move so that the courts would have something to act on.

The MILF yesterday reiterated that it will not in anyway do as the government wants.

“This is not only ridiculous but sheer arrogance on the part of government,” said MILF information chief Mohagher Iqbal in a statement posted on the rebel website luwaran.com yesterday.

Earlier, MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu suggested that the government was trying to play a trick on them, considering that the separatist group had said it does not recognize the sovereignty of the Philippine government over the Bangsamoros (Filipino Muslims).

He explained that once the MILF files a petition in a Philippine court, it would be taken to mean that it now recognizes Philippine sovereignty.

“Once the MILF does this move as demanded by the government, the MILF will cease to be operating outside the framework of Philippine laws and they can be reclassified as plain criminals,” Iqbal also said yesterday.

The Front’s deputy chief for political affairs, Ghazali Jaafar, said the government should make the legal move to quash the warrants of arrest so that both sides could resume peace talks.

Jaafar said: “The government has filed the case in the first place and let it undo what it has done by lifting the arrest orders and the bounty.”

President Arroyo also demanded that Hashim head the rebel’s peace panel when the talks resume in Malaysia, which is brokering the negotiations.

But both Salamat and Murad are into hiding because of the 5 million pesos bounty on their heads offered by President Arroyo for their capture dead or alive.

The MILF has rejected the demands for Salamat to lead the peace talks. But Jaafar said the issue depends on whether the Malaysian government requests his attendance. “And if it does so, the MILF may grant it under special arrangement, but Salamat will not head the MILF negotiating panel,” he said. (Additional inputs from agencies)