MANILA, Philippines -- The chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said they were “trying our best to restrain” rebel commanders involved in a recent wave of attacks in Central Mindanao as he expressed hope the peace process could be “saved.”

Al Haj Murad Ebrahim said he was "very saddened" by the recent fighting as he admitted there was "much frustration" among MILF fighters over the pace of peace negotiations and that they were "outraged" by "inflammatory statements."

"On our side we are trying our best to restrain our commanders to save the situation," Murad said in an interview aired on the ABS-CBN News Channel.

Criminal charges have been filed against MILF commanders Ameril Umbra Kato, whose men occupied several North Cotabato villages until they were driven out by a military offensive last week, and Abdullah Macapaar, who is blamed for the Lanao attacks.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has also ordered the “unrelenting” pursuit of the two rebel commanders.

"We are very saddened by this situation now…We have been very faithful in the peace process and we hold the supremacy of the peace process," he said. "We are still optimistic that everybody will cooperate, then we can still save the situation and we can still save the peace process."

Murad said the attacks by MILF fighters in North Cotabato and Lanao del Norte provinces were triggered by the "frustration" of rebel commanders, which was aggravated by the issuance of the Supreme Court of a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the signing of the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD) with the government.

The MOA-AD would pave the way for the expansion of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) into the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE).