Jesus Dureza, the presidential adviser on peace process, told reporters that the upcoming round of talks would focus on the boundaries for a Muslim homeland in southern Philippines.

He said the two sides would present a draft memorandum of agreement on the ancestral domain before inking a final peace agreement.

The draft could be finalised after the negotiating panels meet in February next year, Dureza said.

The 12,000-member MILF, since its founding in late 1970s, has been fighting for the establishment of a Muslim homeland in southern Philippine region of Mindanao. It signed a truce with the government in 2001 but sporadic clashes remain as the truce was poorly enforced.

Agencies

Güncelleme Tarihi: 11 Aralık 2007, 16:27