Manila, Philippines - More than 100,000 people took to the streets of key cities in the Philippines to call the attention of the United Nations to prevent another massive war to take place in the country after the peace talks between the government and the country’s largest Muslim separatist rebel group has been derailed.

In unprecedented moves uniting civilians, Church sector, and rebel groups sympathizers, the peace rallies were held in the cities of Manila, Cotabato, Marawi, General Santos, and Iligan as part of a series of mass actions organized by a network of 164 civil society organizations of mostly Muslims, to break the most serious impasse to stall the peace talks between government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) since negotiations started in 1997.

Rallies in other areas are now being prepared, organizers say.

Hundreds of children from different Islamic schools (madrasah) in Taguig, Manila wore green bands (color of Islam) and waved flags, calling for peace in Mindanao in Islamic New Year celebrations (Amun Jadeed) last January 19.

Thousands of people from different non-government and people’s organizations gathered in Cotabato city plaza and called on the attention of the international community to press the Philippine government and the MILF into resuming their talks and eventually signing a peace agreement.

In Iligan, a convoy of vehicles and thousands of demonstrators called upon President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to immediately resolve the problem.

In Marawi, civilians wore red shirts and bands, and raised flags with the word, Allahu Akbar (Allah is Great), urging the government and MILF to resume their stalled peace talks.

In General Santos , people filled the public plaza and expressed dismay and fears over possible impacts of the stalemate.

Talks between the government of the predominantly Catholic country and the MILF hit a snag last December over disagreements on the coverage of ancestral domain and constitutional process, two highly controversial and critical subjects in the talks.

Secretary Jesus Dureza, the presidential adviser on the peace process, assessed the impasse as “among the most serious to stall the rocky talks, a big hump” upon which the GRP has no “magic formula” while “looking for a way out”.

The MILF negotiating panel refused to meet its government counterpart during the 15th exploratory talks last December 15 to 17 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia because the government draft of a proposed memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain supposedly did not contain certain consensus points earlier agreed by the two parties.

The government negotiating panel recently inserted a provision which states that the implementation of the agreement will have to follow “constitutional process.”

Situations have been aggravated by recent statements from some of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s key officials threatening the MILF with sanctions.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno Puno said government should not give in to the MILF’s demand for a “juridical entity” without a plebiscite, while AFP Vice Chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Romero stated that peace talks will not continue without MILF’s disarmament.

Since all-out war was declared by former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada in 2000, negotiations progressed because of mutual agreement that government should not refer to Constitution and the MILF would not demand independence.

The setting up of a Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) was agreed upon by government and MILF negotiators during exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur last year.

Field army personnel and MILF are now on full alert for any movements from opposing sides in conflict-affected areas in the disputed island of Mindanao .

Last update : 30-01-2008 15:44

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