The Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panels Friday wrapped up its three-day peace talks in Kuala Lumpur with "significant progress" in the ancestral domain issue, the most disputable matter on the negotiating table.

The panels from both sides said in a joint statement reaching here on Friday that they achieved substantive gains in "defining the concept, sharing the resources and establishing governance" in the "Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE)".

However, in the statement, the panels said they were held back from reaching full consensus by the highly technical nature of discussions on the delineation and demarcation of territory.

The panels acknowledged that more work had to be done on the issue of ancestral domain, especially in the determination and delimitation of areas to be placed under the future BJE.

The two panels agreed to conduct further ground validation and collection of additional data to guide them in the resolution of remaining items, the statement said.

"The talks were held under an atmosphere of frankness, cordiality and goodwill, marking the commitment of both sides to uphold and advance the gains already achieved in the ancestral domain agenda," they said.

The two sides also committed to moving forward the establishment of the Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute, which was envisioned as an agent of change in the social and political environment of the Bangsamoro people.

Also in the statement, the panels expressed deep appreciation for the International Monitoring Team in working with the ceasefire committees of both sides to sustain the highly successful ceasefire.

Ancestral domain refers to the MILF demand for territory that will constitute a Muslim homeland.

The area called Bangsamoro by the MILF allegedly covers southern portion of Mindanao, the Sulu Archipelago and neighboring islands. Bangsamoro literally means the Filipino Muslim people living in the area.

Source: Xinhua