PRESIDENT Arroyo wants a memorandum of agreement on the ancestral domain agenda and a final peace agreement with the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front first before working on amending the 1987 Constitution to enable the establishment of the Bangsa Moro Federal Governance.

An agreement would define exactly what amendment is needed, chief government negotiator Rodolfo Garcia said after a Cabinet meeting yesterday.

The peace negotiations hit a snag during exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur last month after the MILF panel accused government of reneging on the consensus points on the ancestral domain that had been reached in prior meetings.

The MILF panel also accused the government of inserting provisions in a draft memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain that had not been discussed or agreed on.

Garcia declined to give more details, saying discussion of some parts of the peace talks with MILF was done in an executive session.

He said they are still trying to get the "solid and concrete" stand of the MILF on the proposed Bangsa Moro federal state.

Garcia said they are preparing a second draft which he said would reflect the consensus points that were reached earlier. He said they hope to present the draft within the week to the MILF panel.

But Garcia said the draft MOA on ancestral domain would not include the aspects of "governance, political structure and the kind of government." – Jocelyn Montemayor