Philippines government signs peace deal with rebel group

(Vatican Radio) The Philippines is celebrating the signing of a landmark peace agreement which is a step towards ending more than 40 years of conflict. The Philippine government and the country's largest Muslim rebel group formalised the deal Monday that serves as a roadmap to forming a new autonomous region in the south.

President Benigno Aquino and Ebrahim Murad, head of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), held one-on-one talks before the signing of the framework pact.

Lydia O’Kane spoke to Melo Acuna, Editor of the online Radio of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, about this new era of peace, he says it is a milestone “not only for the Manila central government but for the people in the Southern Philippines.”

Speaking about the Church’s involvement in the search for peace Mela Acuna, says …“the Church has always looked at the plight of the Muslims whenever there were armed conflicts… the Catholic Church has always helped the refugees or the evacuees who have settled in public school buildings or some in Churches. So the Catholic Church in Mindanao has not closed its eyes on the plight of the Muslims.”

The new autonomous government will have greater political powers and more control over resources, including minerals, oil and natural gas than the existing Muslim-governed entity.

The agreement also guarantees rights of both Muslims and non-Muslims, unlike a 2008 deal that was struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional. Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s interview with Melo Acuna