Philippines, Muslim rebels agree on peace pact

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/philippine-president-says-preliminary-peace-pact-has-been-reached-talks-muslim-rebels

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said Sunday that his government has reached a preliminary peace agreement with the nation's largest Muslim rebel group in a major breakthrough toward ending a decades-long insurgency in the country's south.

Aquino described the deal in a nationally televised announcement as a "framework agreement" — a road map for establishing a new autonomous region to be administered by minority Muslims in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation's south. It follows marathon negotiations between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Malaysia, which is brokering the talks.

The agreement is expected to be signed in a few days in the capital, Manila, officials said. It spells out the general principles on major issues, including the extent of power, revenues and territory of the Muslim region. If all goes well, a final peace deal could be reached by 2016, when Aquino's six-year term ends, according to the officials.