MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday said the government of Malaysia will remain the third party facilitator of peace negotiations between the Philippine government the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

In an interview, Aquino said government peace negotiators decided to keep Malaysia as a third party in the talks since the negotiations are already in an advanced stage.

"Changing the third party might delay the whole process," he told Palace reporters.

The President earlier said peace talks with the MILF would resume after the end of Islam's holy month of Ramadan in September. He said he has instructed officials to review the whole negotiating process before resuming talks.

Marvic Leonen, a lawyer who heads the government's panel negotiating with the MILF, said a truce that had held in recent months had bolstered confidence ahead of the peace talks.

The 12,000-strong MILF has been waging an insurgency for more than three decades to carve out a separate Muslim state in the mostly Catholic country's southern island of Mindanao.

The rebellion has killed over 150,000 people and stunted economic growth in the mineral rich but impoverished southern region.

Aquino's predecessor, Gloria Arroyo, failed to sign a peace deal with the MILF during the nine years she was in power. She stepped down on June 30, as mandated by the constitution.

Large scale fighting erupted in 2008 when rogue MILF commanders launched attacks in response to the Supreme Court outlawing a proposed deal that would have given them control over vast tracts of land.

More than 750,000 people were displaced at the height of the fighting, triggering a humanitarian crisis.

About 400 civilians and fighters from both sides were also killed.

Both sides agreed to a ceasefire last year, but the MILF opted to stall peace talks until Arroyo stepped down.  With Agence France-Presse