The Philippine government said on Monday that the bombing in the southern city of Cotabato, purportedly done by the renegade faction of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), should not hinder the peace process in the Southern Philippines.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said in a news briefing that while such incidents have an impact on the peace process, the Arroyo administration remains committed to seeing through the successful conclusion of peace negotiations with the MILF before the President steps down next year.

"We cannot deny that this kind of incident might be a hindrance or might cause a delay for the formal talks, but as I said, this is the commitment of the administration of the Arroyo government and we have to remain focused on this commitment before her term ends," Fajardo said.

Meanwhile, Arroyo's Chief Peace Adviser Avelino Razon Jr. said in a television interview that the bombing incident "would not affect the overall peace process being pushed by the government...because the MILF leadership is also helping to pursue the peace process."

"The bombing will not deter the government to pursue the peace process because there is no alternative to peace," Razon said.

Fajardo also defended the decision of the Philippine military to pinpoint the MILF renegade faction as responsible for the bombing.

Source:Xinhua