PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia - - Indonesia pledged Thursday that her government fully supports the Philippine bid for an observer status in the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

Indonesian President Sukarnoputri Megawati made the pledge to Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during their bilateral talk here Thursday afternoon after attending the opening of the 10th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference at the Putrajaya Convention Center.

President Macapagal-Arroyo requested the Indonesian President to endorse the Philippine bid to clinch the observer status in the OIC, which is now held by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

Speaking on behalf of President Megawati, Indonesian Foreign Minister N. Hassan Wirajuda said that as a matter of procedure, Libya, which is a member of the Committee of Eight monitoring the implementation of the Philippine-MNLF peace agreement of 1996, will formally make the endorsement.

Wirajuda said Indonesia, chairman of the Committee of Eight, will second the motion of the endorsement by Libya.

President Macapagal-Arroyo was extremely happy to hear Indonesia’s pledge of support for the Philippine bid for observer status in the influential OIC, which is composed 57 Muslim countries.

For the first time in its 34-year history, a Philippine President had been invited to attend the OIC summit.

This favorable action came to fruition through the efforts of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad who invited President Arroyo to grace the summit, the largest gathering of the OIC held every three years.

Indonesia played a key role in forging a peace agreement between the Philippine government and the MILF on Sept. 2, 1996, briefly ending the biggest Musllim insurgeny in Mindanao.

The Mindanao conflict has remained a thorn in the neck of the Philippine government because the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the second largest Muslim guerilla front, continued the fight in southern Philippines.

But the Philippines and the MILF have started exploratory talks and even signed a cessation of hostilities last year to give peace another chance in Mindanao.

Defense Secretary Eduardo R. Ermita, who accompanied the President at the OIC summit here, said that the resumption of the RP-MILF exploratory talks would be held here on Oct. 22.

Ermita was also confident that the Philippines would ultimately be given an observer status in the OIC.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople said the bid of the Philippines for observer status remains strong. Ople was also here with the President.

He clarified a news report about the alleged OIC's rejection of the Philippines' application for OIC observer status.

"The OIC's Committee of the Eight has taken no such action. It has not rejected our bid," Ople said.

"In fact, the recent action by the Committee of the Eight, through its Chairman, had strengthened our bid," he added.

Indonesia, chair of the Committee of the Eight, has declared that the Philippines has complied with the political and security mandates of the 1996 GRP-MNLF peace accord.

"This is a historic report. For it settles conclusively the issue of peace between the Philippines and the MNLF. This formal report of Indonesia,delivered to the gathered Foreign Ministers of the OIC on Monday, was roundly applauded. I fully expect that this report will be adopted by the OIC Summit," Ople said.

"We have the full support of many members of the OIC for our Observer status. While we are hopeful that we soon be admitted as an observer, I understand that certain procedures have to be followed. I understand that there are other countries which had filed for observer status years ahead of the Philippines, for example," he said.

Ople continued: "I would like to emphasize that there has been no rejection of our application, whether at the level of the Committee of the Eight or at any other level in the OIC. The favorable Report of the Committee of the Eight, the invtation for the President to attend the OIC Summit, and the strong support we are getting from our close friends and allies in the OIC, all belie any notion of rejction."

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo arrived today at 3:30 A.M. from her historic attendance in the 10^TH Session of the Organization of Islamic Conference in Putrajaya, Malaysia.

The President, garbed in a fuschia-colored Malaysian dress and black pants, flew in aboard a chartered Philippine Airlines plane at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo was the first Philippine president invited to the summit of the OIC, which is composed of 57 Muslim countries.

Accompanying the President on the flight home were Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Presidential Assistant on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye, and Presidential Management Staff (PMA) chief Secretary Silvestre Afable.

Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Narciso Abaya escorted the President during the rendition of foyer honors.

The welcoming party included First Gentleman Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo, Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines Mohammad Taufik Noor, Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo, Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane, Philippine Army (PA) commander Lt. Gen. Gregorio Camiling, Philippine Air Force (PAF) chief Lt. Gen. Nestor Santillan, and Philippine Navy (PN) Flag-Officer-in-Command Lt. Gen. Ernesto de Leon.