Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople yesterday said the Philippine government welcomed the participation of the United States in the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Ople said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo gave her blessing to the US participation in a meeting yesterday at Malacanang with US Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Daley, who was accompanied by US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone.

The foreign secretary said he understood that Malaysia, the peace broker between the Philippines and the MILF, has also welcomed a consultative role for the US for the peace and development of Mindanao.

Ople said the Washington-based Institute for Peace, a US supported NGO, will be the focal point of the US participation, providing “financial and diplomatic support” to the peace process.

Ople said the US will be mainly in a supporting role to Malaysia, which is the principal facilitator and mediator.

The foreign secretary said the US support was originally pledged by President George W. Bush, during President Arroyo’s recent state visit to Washington, D.C.

Ople said the USAID was already engaged in various community development projects in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.  He noted that recently the US donated $8 million worth of new equipment to the Sulu provincial hospital.

“With the US coming into the picture, we expect the prospects for peace and development in Mindanao to be significantly enhanced,” Ople said.

The secretary added that he expected the GRP and the MILF to resume the stalled peace process before July 1st. - END