Philippine leader, rebel chief hold rare talks over stalled peace deal

Philippine President Benigno Aquino held a surprise meeting in Japan with the country's top Muslim rebel to address growing concerns over delays in implementing a peace deal, their aides said on Thursday.

The meeting took place on Tuesday on the sidelines of a peace conference in Hiroshima, where Aquino and Moro Islamic Liberation Front Chairman Murad Ebrahim were guests, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

A rebel spokesman said the rebel group sought the meeting to raise concerns over delays in implementing an accord signed in March, after a draft law that is crucial for a final peace was not passed by Congress this month as planned.

Lacierda divulged few details of the meeting, other than it was a 15-minute encounter and that they talked about the planned law that would create an autonomous Muslim region in the southern Philippines.

"It is safe to assume that the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law was discussed," Lacierda said.

Muslim rebels have been battling for independence or autonomy in the southern islands of the mainly Catholic Philippines since the 1970s, with the conflict claiming tens of thousands of lives.

The rebel group, with 10,000 armed followers, is the biggest one, and its signing of the accord has raised hopes of an enduring peace in the south, despite other breakaway groups still vowing to fight.

The pact made the group and the government partners in a plan to create the autonomous region by mid-2016, when Aquino is required by the Constitution to step down.

A commission composed of rebel and government nominees drafted a "basic law" for the autonomous region, and it was submitted to Aquino in April as part of a timeframe to have Congress pass it by June.

Aquino, however, is still reviewing the planned law. His aides have said this is because he wants to ensure it withstands scrutiny by the legislative body.

The rebel group's deputy chief, Ghazali Jaafar, said on Thursday that Murad had sought out the meeting to "express our concerns over the delays", and had been partly appeased by Aquino's response.

"We accepted explanations given, but any further delays could impact on the full ratification of the deal," Jaafar said, while emphasizing the group's fighters remained "deeply concerned" about the slowdown.

He said Aquino must marshal his allies in Congress to pass the law this year.

Aquino, in his Tuesday speech before meeting Murad, highlighted a similar encounter between the two in Japan in 2011 that built momentum in the peace process.

"Trust was established between brothers, and a genuine dialogue was possible," Aquino said.