The Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),the country’s biggest rebel group, on September 8 agreed on a draft lawthat allows the establishment of an autonomous Muslim region in thesouth of the country after a recent meeting in Manila.
The move has helped solve differences regarding the draft BangsamoroBasic Law (BBL), which threatened efforts to end the MILF’s decades-oldrebellion in the south.
President Benigno Aquino III will submit the draft law to the Congress on September 10.
In March 2014, the Philippine Government and the MILF signed theComprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, under which the two sidesagreed to discuss the establishment of an autonomous Muslim region bymid-2016, when the six-year presidency of Benigno Aquino ends.
In return, the 12,000-member MILF will disarm and help the governmentimprove the lives of Filipino Muslims, who are among the poorest andmost marginalised in the mainly Catholic nation of 100 million.
Muslim rebels have been battling forindependence or autonomy in the southern islands since the 1970s, withthe conflict claiming tens of thousands of lives.-VNA
The move has helped solve differences regarding the draft BangsamoroBasic Law (BBL), which threatened efforts to end the MILF’s decades-oldrebellion in the south.
President Benigno Aquino III will submit the draft law to the Congress on September 10.
In March 2014, the Philippine Government and the MILF signed theComprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, under which the two sidesagreed to discuss the establishment of an autonomous Muslim region bymid-2016, when the six-year presidency of Benigno Aquino ends.
In return, the 12,000-member MILF will disarm and help the governmentimprove the lives of Filipino Muslims, who are among the poorest andmost marginalised in the mainly Catholic nation of 100 million.
Muslim rebels have been battling forindependence or autonomy in the southern islands since the 1970s, withthe conflict claiming tens of thousands of lives.-VNA
