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Philippine official says some accords with Muslim rebels may violate constitution

By JIM GOMEZ,Associated Press Writer AP - Tuesday, June 17

MANILA, Philippines - Some agreements between the Philippine government and Muslim guerrillas may violate the country's constitution, an official said Tuesday, an admission that may complicate a search for peace in the south.

A just-completed government legal study showed the country's 1987 constitution will have to be amended to legalize some initial accords with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to bring the years-long talks to a successful conclusion, chief government negotiator Rodolfo Garcia said.

The talks, aimed at granting minority Muslims autonomy after decades of a bloody insurrection, faltered in December when the rebels walked away from the negotiations to protest Manila's insistence that any accord should conform with the constitution.

The rebels say they want the agreements to stand on their own.

Philippine and U.S. officials hope a peace accord would end decades of separatist guerrilla warfare that has killed thousands and eradicate Muslim rebel strongholds that could harbor al-Qaida-linked militants.

Both sides have forged several "consensus points" on the contentious issue of the size of a southern region that could be administered by minority Muslims under a final peace accord. The government last year declared it would subject those points to a legal review, prompting the rebel protest.

Garcia suggested a way out of the predicament was to amend the charter and laws.

"If these have to be implemented, which is what we want, we'll have to do certain things, including amending the constitution," Garcia told The Associated Press.

The legal study reflects the government's wish to bring the talks forward and prevent any legal squabbles on future agreements, he said.

Getting opposition lawmakers, who dominate the Philippine Senate, to agree to open the constitution to changes could, however, be a daunting task. Many of those lawmakers have sought Arroyo's resignation over alleged corruption and have rejected her call for constitutional amendments in the past.

Government peace negotiators have said they may convince opposition lawmakers to agree to such charter amendments by promising to seek changes pertaining only to provisions that could stall the peace negotiations.

Disappointed with the impasse in the talks, Malaysian facilitators started withdrawing last month dozens of its monitors that form the bulk of a foreign contingent safeguarding a 2003 cease-fire.

The monitors have been credited with curbing clashes in the south.

Malaysian officials have pledged to continue brokering the talks.

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