MANILA: The Philippine Supreme Court, acting on a petition by Christian politicians, yesterday blocked the signing of a key accord granting an expanded southern homeland to minority Muslims as part of a deal to end decades of a rebellion.
The Philippine government and the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front were to sign the agreement today in Malaysia, which has been brokering the negotiations. The accord, which aims to expand an existing autonomous region to add 712 more villages, sparked protests from Christian residents.
Court spokesman Midas Marquez said the Supreme Court issued a temporary stay after Christian politicians from the southern province of North Cotabato objected to the accord because the government failed to publicly disclose its contents. Christian politicians from the southern city of Zamboanga filed a similar petition in court yesterday.
The court’s 15 justices, voting unanimously, ordered the Christian politicians and the government to explain their arguments on Aug. 15, while the attorney general was told to submit a copy of the accord by Friday.
“The court would like to find out the real issues before some irreversible acts can be done. So, we want to maintain the status quo,” Marquez told a news conference.
The rebel group — with an estimated 11,000 armed fighters — has been battling for self-rule in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation’s volatile south for decades. Christian politicians protesting the accord have warned that an enlarged Muslim homeland could spark renewed sectarian violence.
Rebel spokesman Eid Kabalu called the decision a setback, adding that his group remained committed to peace talks.
