Manila - The Philippine government Wednesday dissolved its peace negotiating panel with the country's largest Muslim separatist rebel group after weeks of deadly hostilities in the strife-torn southern region of Mindanao.

The move would pave the way for a fresh start to the peace process in Mindanao, Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said.

Dureza said Presidential Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita was scheduled to announce the dissolution of the government peace panel with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) later in the day.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said the government will continue to talk peace in Mindanao, where poverty rates are among the highest in the country, but the negotiations would include other stakeholders than just the MILF.

"The peace process must proceed but only after we have expanded the number of stakeholders for consultations," Arroyo said in a statement. "Our commitment is to peace, the constitutional process and the rule of law."

Two MILF commanders led a series of deadly attacks in a number of provinces in Mindanao last month, triggering fighting with the military that displaced more than 360,000 people. Some 60 civilians, 110 rebels and 17 soldiers were killed in the hostilities.

The fighting erupted after the Supreme Court stopped the signing of an agreement expanding an existing six-province autonomous Muslim region in Mindanao due to questions over its constitutionality.

Arroyo scrapped the deal after Christian politicians claimed some provisions of the deal violated the constitution. But the MILF said the government should honour the deal, which was a product of more than four years of negotiations. (dpa)