VIDEO: Communist rebels led by Jorge Madlos, also known as Ka Oris, meet with members of the Philippine press during a recent clandestine interview which coincided with the 42nd founding anniversary of the New People’s Army in Mindanao. 26/12/2010

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) / New People’s Army (NPA) held what it called its grandest anniversary celebration ever somewhere in the Caraga region on 26 December 2010, marking its 42 years of existence. Jorge Madlos, also known as Ka Oris, spokesman of the CPP-led National Democratic Front of the Philippines in Mindanao, said that at least 8,000 individuals from four regions in Mindanao attended the event. About 30 large vehicles brought peasants, workers, students, religious, lawyers and the media to the event that threaded through several military and police checkpoints to reach the venue — a mere kilometer away from the provincial highway.

MILF SPLINTER GROUPS

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is insisting that current clan feuds, and lots of accompanying gun and mortar fire, are no danger to the peace talks. It's pointed out that there are about five or more of these feuds breaking out each month in the south. Most of these feuds are relatively low key (more shouting than shooting.) But some of them involve two or more heavily armed private militias, and these brawls are loud, bloody and go on for a while. Some of the fighting is the result of old disputes between the factions of the rebel MILF and pro-government MNLF. All this has led to several gun battles in the last month, leaving dozens dead and wounded. Over 5,000 people have fled their homes to avoid the shooting. Most of the unrest arises from two local MILF and MNLF commanders that have disputes with each other. The arguments escalated to involve over a thousand armed men from both groups. The army and police are trying to broker a ceasefire. Much of the current feuding is political, with some groups fighting to oppose any peace deal with the government that does not include a separate Moslem state in the south.

Peace negotiations with MILF have hit a snag over the reluctance of top MILF commanders to shut down factions that refuse to accept anything less than a separate Moslem state in the south. The MILF doesn't want to start a war within their own organization, and believes they can destroy the rebellious faction by persuading subordinate commanders to return to the mainstream MILF. But in the meantime, the rebellious factions continue to attack security forces and Christian civilians.

The MILF has also assured the government that MILF groups that have recently rebelled, will be taken care of. The worst of these splinter groups is BIFF (Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters), which contains about a thousand armed men. In the past, such divisiveness has been a persistent problem. Over the last few decades, peace deals with Moslems separatists have constantly unraveled when some factions insisted on continuing the fight.

VIDEO: Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF)

Renegade Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) vow to continue their armed uprising despite the peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Al Jazeera tracks down the leader of a heavily armed separatist group in the Philippines. Ameril Umbrakato, leader of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), which recently split from the Muslim separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), exclusively talks to Al Jazeera's Marga Ortigas.