Government of the Philippines (GRP) peace negotiating panel chairman Rafael Seguis said “more intense” negotiations are expected in the coming talks between the GRP and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as he reiterated that there is no interim agreement made just yet between the two parties.

“There will be more intense negotiations in the weeks to come hopefully in the last week of May or June,” Seguis said.

“I think we’ve made some progress,” Seguis said, citing the previous talks held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. "We're still working very hard.” It will be recalled that in its two-day exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in April, both parties have agreed to “swiftly return” the 100,000 remaining internally displaced persons (IDPs) who are still sheltered in evacuation centers in conflict-torn Mindanao.

Earlier this month, both parties also signed the Terms of Reference of the Civilian Protection Component (CPC) of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) and the Implementing Guidelines on the Clearing of Land Mines and Unexploded Ordnance in Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao in Kuala Lumpur.

Seguis, however, reiterated that no interim peace agreement has been made. “As of today, there is no draft agreement, we’re starting from scratch,” he said.

The GRP and the MILF had resumed its peace talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Dec. 8 and 9, 2009.