MANILA, Philippines (4th UPDATE) - University of the Philippines College of Law Dean Marvic Leonen has been named chief of the government's peace panel with the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

In a press conference, Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda announced that President Benigno Aquino had asked Leonen to chair the negotiating panel and facilitate the peace talks with the MILF.

In a statement read by Lacierda, Aquino said his administration will learn from the mistakes of the past and will seek to provide lasting solutions to the separatist problem.

Aquino said he had ordered a review of past agreements to see how the new administration can move forward in the protracted negotiations. 

Aquino said he would take a "constitutional path," and would work to achieve peace and justice.

He said the peace panel would consult not only with the affected Muslim communities but with local government units as well.

MILF welcomes appointment

The chairman of the MILF information committee, meanwhile, welcomed Leonen's appointment.

Mohager Iqbal said he's eager to see how the GRP-MILF peace process will move forward under Leonen's watch.

"I know Leonen very well, I met him last year. I know he is for indigenous people's rights. He is an activist. Personally, it is a welcome development that he is appointed the chairman of the GRP peace panel,” he said.

Ancestral domain

Unlike the previous Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD), struck down by the Supreme Court, Leonen reiterated that he will be "faithful to the constitution" and follow the opinion of the high court in crafting a peace agreement.

The MOA-AD was finalized in 2008 by the Arroyo administration but it was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Part of the agreement includes the creation of a Muslim homeland.

"We will be in dialogue with MILF to figure out the kind of governance they see, the kind of comprehensive peace agreement they want to see," Leonen said in the same press briefing at the Palace.

Leonen said governance will be key issue that needs to be addressed in securing a peace deal.

"If they want us to recognize and confirm and implement in good faith what the past negotiating panels had agreed to, then we expect the same attitude on their part," he added.

Learn from history

Though the panel will follow the same approach as the Arroyo administration, presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita 'Ging' Deles reiterated the framework "encompasses" President Aquino's statements on achieving peace in Mindanao.

"In his (Aquino) April 22 speech, he laid down 4 key elements which the government must pursue: governance, delivery of basic services, economic reconstruction and sustainable development, and security sector reform," Deles said in the same press conference.

An advisory body will be created to review previous negotiations, find a common ground, and "carefully study" how the talks will progress, Deles said.

"We're committed to learning mistakes from the past... We are committed to finding a balance between negotiations and informing the public of the state of the negotiations. We will be faithful to Constitution," Leonen said.

No deadline

The peace panel for talks with the MILF will be composed of lawmakers, those involved in crafting the 1987 Constitution, retired justices, former chair of the peace panel, and select civil society peace advocates.

Deles said the panel will be completed "very soon," and Leonen will begin working next week.

Leonen refused to give a timetable for the peace talks, but he looks forward to solving the complicated ancestral domain subject as soon as possible.

"In a negotiation, we cannot give a deadline... We don't want any palliative measures. Wouldn't it be nice to solve it as soon as possible? That is our intention, and we hope it is in the same good faith from the other side," he said.

Leonen said negotiations can begin within the first 3 months.

Treating breakaway groups

Leonen added that a fact-finding panel will be made to investigate alleged terrorist activities that have been associated with the separatists.

"When we have doubts on their claims, we will ask for clarifications through proper procedures, outlining the past agreements that we will confirm or recognize," he added.

Leonen said past negotiations had approved an ad-hoc agreement, which outlined cooperation between the two parties in addressing "criminal elements."

Given this accord, he said the MILF should lend a hand in going after "recalcitrants" or so-called breakaway groups.

Expert on constitutional and indigenous law

Leonen is an expert in the fields of applied constitutional law, natural resources law, Philippine indigenous law, remedial law and many others.

He graduated magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines School of Economics in 1983, and obtained his law degree from the university's College of Law in 1987.

Leonen co-founded the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center, Inc.-Kasama sa Kalikasan, a legal and policy research and advocacy institution focused on providing legal services for upland rural poor and indigenous people's communities.

He served as the Center's executive director for fifteen years.

In 2008, he was selected dean of the UP College of Law by the Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines.

The government will also be forming a panel to open talks with the communist New People’s Army. - with reports from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News; ANC