Manila signs peace deal with rebel Muslims The Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front signed a peace plan on Monday aimed at ending four decades of separatist rebellion in the country's volatile south. The televised signing of the agreement in Manila, which departed from past practice of holding ceremonies in foreign countries with just a handful of people as witnesses, underscored the government's efforts to generate widespread popular support for the deal, and blunt potential legal and political challenges that have doomed similar peace deals in the past. "In full view of the Filipino people, and witnessed even by our friends from different parts of the world, we commit to peace," said Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino, the Philippine president, in remarks shortly before the signing of the 13-page agreement. The document outlines steps towards the creation of a self-governing region for the Muslim minority in the mainly Christian nation by 2016 in exchange for the rebels gradually laying down their arms. Well ahead of the signing on Monday, Mr Aquino announced details of the outline deal in a special televised address on October 7, and the government published the framework agreement itself in newspapers and on the internet four days later. Peace campaigners are also helping win popular support for the plan, which calls for a comprehensive agreement to be signed towards the end of the year. A "peace caravan" composed of Christian and Muslim civil society groups travelled from the southern island of Mindanao over the weekend and held a vigil on Sunday evening near the presidential palace to support the signing of the deal. The question of self-government for the country's Muslim minority is a highly divisive issue in the Philippines, with many political leaders fearing it will lead to the loss of territory in parts of Mindanao, the country's second-biggest island which is also considered the historic homeland of the country's Muslims. Christian Filipino settlers from the country's north now make up 80 per cent of the population in Mindanao compared with just 20 per cent in the early 1900s. Along with multinational companies, they own most of the farm land, plantations and mines that generate a sizeable part of the country's export revenues. Past peace deals aimed at allowing Muslim self-government in a small confined area accounting for just a fifth of Mindanao's land area have either been challenged for violating the constitution, or undermined by members of Congress tasked with translating the terms of the peace agreement into legislation. A preliminary memorandum of agreement between the government and the MILF in 2008 was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on the eve of its signing, triggering the worst fighting in years. Many prominent lawyers are already beginning to question whether the latest agreement with the MILF is unconstitutional, though no legal objections have yet been filed. "The new peace plan is still vulnerable to legal and political challenges," said Earl Parreno, a political analyst. President Aquino cannot rely on his traditional powers as president to overcome these challenges. He must proactively campaign and generate popular support to create a favourable political climate for the peace process. The signing was marked by ceremonies attended by hundreds of international dignitaries, government officials, rebel leaders, political and civil society leaders, and even popular movie and sports stars.