The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) returned to the negotiation table Monday, after rejecting a government peace proposal in August, DPA reported. "Our proposed political settlement besides providing for a pragmatic framework workable within the next few years also provides a platform to pave the way for true deliberative democracy among all our peoples," said Marvic Leonen, head of the government peace panel. For its part, the MILF did not release any statement Monday. The MILF has been fighting for an independent Islamic state in Mindanao since 1978. It entered into peace negotiations with the government in 1997. It has demanded a Muslim sub-state in Mindanao as a first step, a provision it said was lacking in the August proposal.
