Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople today said that the death of MILF founder and leader Hashim Salamat and the change in leadership in the MILF will not derail current efforts to achieve peace in the Southern Philippines.

“The Philippines remains committed to the peace process with the MILF. The change in leadership in the MILF will not affect our desire to achieve peace,” the Secretary said.  He added that the care which the MILF had taken in ensuring a smooth transition in their leadership while maintaining a constant stand on their desire for peace should have a positive effect on the peace process.

Secretary Ople made this statement after the MILF confirmed that Hashim Salamat had died of a heart attack.  Hashim Salamat died on the morning of July 13, according to Ghazali Jaafar, chief political officer of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), who spoke to media, adding that Al Haj Murad, the group's military chief, had been named to replace Salamat as chairman.  The MILF had also stated that they remain committed to the peace process.

“We welcome the clear and categorical statements from the MILF that they are still determined to achieve lasting peace and that their commitment to resume peace talks has not changed,” the Secretary said.

“Professor Salamat left this worldly plane at a time when efforts on both sides for peace had reached levels never before seen.  I believe that he left us with hopes of peace in his heart and dreams of prosperity for his people,” Secretary Ople said.

On the peace talks to be hosted by Malaysia, the Secretary said that the Philippines hopes to receive official word and dates for the talks from Malaysia anytime now, particularly since previous technical obstacles had already been overcome. The Secretary also said that current talks between the Government and the MILF in Cotabato on the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) will lead to an agreement for local peace monitoring mechanism. The local cease-fire monitoring mechanism has to be in place before the Malaysian government could form its own international peace monitoring group. END.