Philippines President Gloria Arroyo has given Muslim separatists a June 1st ultimatum to end attacks on civilians and cut links with terror groups or be treated as terrorists themselves.
The warning brought the government closer to ending its bid for a political settlement to the 25-year rebellion waged by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Mindanao, the southern third of the mainly Roman Catholic country.
Ms Arroyo's spokesman said a terror tag would lead to "the possible restriction of funds from donor organisations to a terrorist organisation," as well as "restrictions on the travel of individual members of the organisation".
He said there was "a possibility of foreclosing the peace talks if the MILF is eventually declared as a terrorist organisation," but noted that similar action did not affect peace talks involving Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers or the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Ms Arroyo suspended peace talks last week following a wave of attacks blamed on the MILF that have killed almost 100 people in Mindanao since March.
The government repeated a previous demand for the 12,500-member MILF to renounce the Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom group as well as foreign Islamic militant group sincluding Jemaah Islamiyah and al-Qaeda.
It also demanded that the MILF hand over those responsible for the bombings of two southern airports and a port as well as a series of raids on Mindanao towns since March.
AFP