The Philippine government sought help from other countries in trying to end the standoff between government forces and Moro National Liberation Front fighters in Zamboanga City, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles said Tuesday.
Deles issued the statement after former President Fidel Ramos suggested that the government should allow the intervention of an international mediator in the crisis, which entered its ninth day Tuesday.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa earlier said their country, which is also facilitating the implementation review of the 1996 GPH-MNLF peace pact, is also ready to mediate in the standoff.
But in text messages to GMA News Online, Deles said the Philippine government was the one who asked Indonesia to "open their communication lines" to assist in finding a peaceful resolution to the Zamboanga standoff.
"They agreed and accordingly gave instructions to their embassy here," she said.
She said embassy officials explained to them that this meant that their lines would be "open" to receive and transmit messages from one side to the other.
However, Deles said Indonesia reportedly said that "they did not see it to be within their role to proactively make a call to either side."
Deles likewise said they requested the entire OIC [Organization of Islamic Conference] peace committee last Thursday to help resolve the standoff.
"None of the eight countries present offered a proposal. We understand from Indonesia that in the several times they received a message from the Misuari group last week, the only topic they raised was regarding travel arrangements to attend the meeting in Yogyakarta until they asked for the postponement of meeting last Thursday," she said.
She added that Indonesia said the Misuari group never asked or offered to talk about resolving the standoff in Zamboanga.
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