Duterte to expedite autonomy bill for Muslim region

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte vowed on Monday he would fast-track new legislation for autonomy in the southern island of Mindanao.

The bill is the culmination of 20 years of peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Under the bill, Mindanao would become an autonomous region with its own executive, legislature, and fiscal powers.

The latest violence on Mindanao erupted seven weeks ago when Islamic State-linked rebels occupied the commercial heart of Marawi City.

Fighting between government troops and rebels, there has killed more than 500 people and displaced 260,000 residents in the Philippines.