COTABATO CITY, Philippines—The Moro Islamic Liberation Front has rejected the Communist Party of the Philippines’ call for a joint “intensified campaign” against the government.

Eid Kabalu, MILF civil-military affairs chief, yesterday said the communist rebels’ cause was different from theirs.

“While we have a tactical alliance, we will not join them. Our focus is confined only on Mindanao and we don’t want to expand our concern,” Kabalu said.

Still, he said, the MILF was ready to reinforce NPA rebels if they came under attack “in areas where we have active forces.”

“We can only work side by side in areas we both have forces. But we cannot join them in their campaign outside of Mindanao,” Kabalu said.

In a statement issued on Dec. 24, the CPP called for an intensified struggle against the Arroyo administration, citing such issues as the global financial crisis, the failed peace negotiations with the MILF, and the moves to amend the Constitution, among others.

Long-standing alliance

“It is of strategic importance to the Filipino people and the Bangsamoro to fight for their revolutionary cause in their respective territories and to maximize their unity, coordination and cooperation in accordance with the long-standing alliance agreement between the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front,” the CPP said.

The MILF has been fighting for an independent Islamic state since 1978. It signed a ceasefire agreement with the government, but skirmishes occurred side by side with peace talks.

The talks collapsed after the government reneged on a promise to sign a memorandum of agreement giving the Bangsamoro people a bigger, virtually independent homeland in Mindanao.

The CPP, on the other hand, has been fighting to establish of a Maoist government in Asia’s oldest democracy the last 37 years.

Its armed wing, the New People’s Army, is touted to be in 70 of the country’s 79 provinces.

Talks between the government and the communists bogged down after Manila would not convince the United States and the European Union to drop the CPP and NPA from their respective lists of terrorist organizations.

Community dialogues

The government, meanwhile, hopes to revive peace negotiations with the MILF soon, after it steps up dialogues with communities in Mindanao.

Secretary Hermogenes Esperon, presidential adviser on the peace process, said the government’s newly reconstituted peace panel was ready to conduct talks with stakeholders in the communities, and then with the MILF.

“The President has instructed the panel to conduct dialogues, further dialogues (with communities) in tandem with the ongoing dialogues on the ground and to prepare for negotiations with the MILF,’’ said Esperon in a statement on his office’s website.

Esperon said the government was looking forward to the resumption of the stalled talks. He expressed the hope the talks would resume early next month.

The government peace panel is headed by Foreign Undersecretary Rafael Seguis as chair, with Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman, former General Santos City Mayor Adelbert Antonino, former party-list Rep. Ronald Adamat, and Iligan City lawyer-businessman Tomas Cabili Jr. as members.

The talks with the MILF were suspended in July but were not formally called off.

With a report from TJ Burgonio