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Mindanao: President Gloria Arroyo called for an investigation into the reported killing of six civilians in renewed clashes between government forces and Muslim separatists in the south.
She added that the protection of civilians is her condition for stalled peace talks to resume with the southern-based rebels.
"We will not negotiate with a gun pointed at our head. We can restart the dialogue when the area is secure and our people are safe, and responsible elements in the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) regain control," Arroyo said.
The pillaging of renegade Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commanders who took over 20 Christian-dominated towns in the south must not be repeated, Arroyo said as she called for an investigation into the reported killing of six civilians allegedly by government aerial attacks in Maguindanao on Monday.
At the start of the investigation, the Philippine Air Force admitted yesterday that government pilots were provoked into launching an air strike that killed six civilians including three children and a pregnant teenager at Datu Piang town in Maguindanao province.
With inputs from Camcer Ordonez, Correspondent
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