MANILA, Philippines – A spokesman for President Benigno Aquino III said Wednesday (March 13th) there are no plans to replace Malaysia as a peace broker in talks between the Philippine government and the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the wake of the month-long siege involving part of Malaysia's Borneo Island, local media reported.

"We have not heard any move that we will change the facilitator," spokesman Edwin Lacierda told the Oman Tribune.

Sun Star reported that despite the ongoing tensions in Sabah state over the followers of a Filipino sultan making a territorial claim, Kuala Lumpur has sent a new contingent of 19 peacekeepers to the International Monitoring Team (IMT) in Mindanao.

Major General Dato Fadzil Bin Mokhtar, the new commander of the 54-member IMT, said he does not think their mission to monitor implementation of the ceasefire between the government and the MILF will be affected by the violence in Sabah.

MILF chief Al Haj Murad Ibrahim said, "We are more focused on the peace process and we don't want to complicate it with the issue of Sabah ownership. We feel the issue is separate from the peace process."