Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed his intention to speed up the establishment of a Muslim autonomous region on the country’s southern island.
Militant groups in Mindanao have clashed with government forces since the 1970s in pursuit of independence.
The country’s largest Muslim separatist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, struck a peace accord with the government in 2014 on condition it be allowed to establish an autonomous political entity.
A bill to create the separate region was submitted to Duterte on Monday. The president voiced support for it and pledged to hasten the implementation process.
Duterte wants to contain the growing influence of the Islamic State group in Mindanao by courting support from the predominantly Muslim population.
Rebels linked to the militant group have been battling government forces since May in an effort to create a stronghold on the island.
There have been fears that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front may be drawn closer to the Islamic State group, as disillusion over the peace process grows.
Source and image: NHK
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