Southern Philippine Muslims to sign autonomy deal
Updated
Muslim separatists in the southern Philippines will sign a deal with Manila this week, giving them control over large areas of Mindanao.
The agreement on Tuesday will give the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, or MILF, autonomy over eight provinces, with its own banking, legal and education systems, a civil service and an internal security force.
The prime minister's department says the deal will give the MILF the homeland it has waged a civil war to achieve since 1978.
The deal is opposed by some Catholic groups, who say the deal amounts to treason and have called for protests next week.
