200 Muslim rebels reach Manila for peace pact

The Moro Islamic Liberation Fronts decades-long rebellion has killed tens of thousands of people and held back progress in the south, where Muslims make up a sizable minority. Government and rebel negotiators forged the framework peace agreement Oct. 7 in Malaysia after 15 years of tough negotiations.The pacts signing on Monday will be witnessed by President Benigno Aquino III, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and rebel chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, who will set foot for the first time in Manilas Malacanang presidential palace, where officials have prepared a red-carpet welcome.Murad has seldom appeared in public in past years. Aquino met Murad secretly in Tokyo for the first time last year to underscore their commitment to settle the rebellion.About 300 Muslims from Manila and southern provinces held a noisy rally outside the palace on Sunday in support of the preliminary accord, yelling Allahu Akbar, or God is great.They called for more development in the resource-rich but impoverished southern Mindanao region, the homeland of minority Muslims in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation.Security has been tightened in the capital, although no disruptions were expected.The agreement is to be signed by government negotiator Marvic Leonen and his rebel counterpart, Mohagher Iqbal, and will serve as a roadmap outlining general agreements on major issues, including the extent of power, revenues and territory of a new Muslim autonomous region to be called Bangsamoro.The two sides are to negotiate details to achieve a final peace deal by 2016, when Aquinos six-year term ends, officials said.The preliminary accord also calls for the establishment of a 15-member Transition Commission that is to draft a law creating the new Muslim-administered region. Rebel forces will be deactivated gradually beyond use, the agreement says, without specifying a timetable.