AlQa'dah 29, 1433, Oct 15, 2012, SPA - The Philippine government and the country's largest Muslim group on Monday signed a preliminary peace pact aimed at ending a 43-year rebellion in the troubled south, DPA reported. The framework agreement calls for the establishment of a new autonomous region to be called Bangsamoro, which means Muslim nation, in the southern region of Mindanao by 2016. The government's chief negotiator, Marvic Leonen, and his Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) counterpart, Mohagher Iqbal, signed the deal, which was reached after 15 years of negotiations mediated and hosted by Malaysia.