MANILA — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has urged anew the Aquino administration to freeze all gas and oil bidding contracts in areas claimed by the Moros as part of their ancestral domain until the parties in the negotiating table finally settle the issue.

The MILF website www.luwaran.net said the appeal came from a military commander of the MILF, who requested anonymity and whose area of operation covers much of the Liguasan Marsh where the main concentration of the planned oil and gas reserves is located.

The commander said that exploration of the gas and oil reserves in their homeland, without settling the ownership issue first, would be adverse to the interests of the people.

“I hope the Aquino administration would not take for granted our request,” he said.

The MILF commander also appealed to would-be-bidders to think twice before getting involved in a controversial business venture.

This latest appeal from the MILF came on the heels of report that the Department of Energy (DOE) has extended the bidding deadline for the oil and gas blocks it offered to investors under the Philippine Energy Contracting Round (PECR).

Energy Undersecretary Jay Layup earlier announced the said revision of the pre-qualification deadlines from February 29 from January 31 to give interested parties more time to prepare their bids.

Layug also said there will be no moratorium on the oil and gas explorations and that DOE has a mandate to develop oil resources, subject to the requirements of the Philippine law.

The MILF said that it has already put forward, through its peace panel, the issue of the gas and oil explorations in Moro ancestral domain as early as August 2011.

Mohagher Iqbal, chairperson of the MILF peace panel, had reportedly conveyed the request for suspension of the bidding of contracts to GPH chief peace negotiator, Dean Marvic Leonen.

Iqbal said the Moro people stand to get nothing if these push through without settling the ancestral domain issue first.