BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR

PRESS Secretary Jesus Dureza said yesterday President Arroyo supports the postponement of the elections at the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao set for next month.

The separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front has asked the government to postpone the elections in deference to the impending plebiscite for the possible inclusion of more than 700 barangays under an expanded ARMM or the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.

This after the GRP and MILF panels reached an agreement on ancestral domain agenda in Kuala Lumpur last July 16.

Dureza said consensus to file a bill in Congress postponing the elections was reached during the President's consultation meeting with ARMM stakeholders that include local government mayors and governors of ARMM and lawmakers held at 6th Infantry Division headquarters in Camp Awang in Cotabato City.

Dureza said President opted to hold the consultation instead of holding a proclamation rally for the administration candidates in ARMM.

Dureza said Reps. Datu Pax Mangandadatu of Sultan Kudarat, Yusop Jikiri of Sulu and Nur Jaafar of Tawi-tawi will file the bill in the House while Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri will author the counterpart bill.

Dureza said it is not yet certain if the President would certify the bill as urgent.

Secessionist rebels on Tuesday staged three successive attacks on military detachments in North Cotabato days after the agreement on ancestral domain.

Maj. Armand Rico, spokesman of the Eastern Mindanao Command, said the rebels first attacked a detachment, manned by militiamen, in the village of Bualan in Pikit town around 11:45 a.m.

At around 4:20 p.m., about 50 MILF guerrillas simultaneously attacked detachments at Pagangan village in Aleosan town and at Nalapaan village in Pikit.

  As of press time, Rico said fighting in the three areas was continuing but there were no reports of casualties.