Filipino leader signs law giving autonomy to Muslim south

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte signed a law to give greater autonomy to Muslims living in the south of the country.

The legislation was approved by Congress before Duterte signed the measure on July 26th. 50-year conflict between the Philippine government and Muslims fighting for an independent state. Negotiations on the agreement began more than 20 years ago

This measure is called Bangsamoro Organic Law. The law creates an autonomous zone on the island of Mindanao in the south. While the rest of the Philippines is predominantly Catholic, about five million Muslims live in the southern region.

Muslim rebel fighting in the south has claimed more than 120,000 lives since the 1970s. The region has traditionally suffered from lower employment, income, education and economic development rates. those of the rest of the country.

The law attributes to the new autonomous region extensive political and economic powers. A government payment of about $ 1.3 billion must be set aside to support development.

A historic but difficult peace agreement between the government and the rebel group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)

In this peace agreement of 2014, the MILF promised to give up his fight for an independent homeland and surrender his weapons. In return, the group would gain extended autonomy for the southern region.

Last year, former MILF activists helped fighters linked by the Islamic State of the Philippines and the United States. other countries to seize the city of Marawi

. Philippine troops, supported by American and Australian surveillance and intelligence, retook the city. The fighting killed more than 1,200 people. Most were Islamic fighters, but the fighting left the city in ruins.

Al Haj Murad Ebrahim is the head of the MILF. He told reporters that he hoped the new law would help bring together different rebel groups and prevent fighting like what happened in Marawi. He says the measure has broad public support. This will make it more difficult for foreign extremists to form local alliances and gain support.

Asec Felix Castro is the local director of the government agency responsible for the reconstruction of Marawi. He told VOA that he thought the new autonomous zone could help people in the Muslim south if they could find the right people to lead the self-management efforts.

"I would like to think that they could realize their hope with good leadership among them."

Henelito Sevilla is an assistant professor of international relations at the University of the Philippines. He says that a sense of autonomy for Muslims should make Mindanao safer.

"Self-determination that they desire by practicing their own religious and cultural rights – as well as the exploitation of their own resources – which would bring growth and development, and of course, who follows is security in their Muslim regions. "