- More Filipinos express a positive view of Islam, according to a poll by Social Weather Stations. 66 per cent of respondents have a favourable opinion of the religion, up 14 points since August 2004.

About seven per cent of the residents of the Philippines are Muslim, while 84 per cent are Roman Catholic. The separatist armed group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is based in the southern region of Mindanao and has been active since 1978.

In 1989, the government allowed for the creation of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The MILF has argued that the entire island of Mindanao is the home of Muslims. MILF members have asked for 1,000 Muslim-dominated villages to be added to the ARMM, but the government has only allowed for the inclusion of 613 additional villages.

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo took over as president of the Philippines in January 2001, following the resignation of Joseph Estrada. Arroyo won a six-year term in the June 2004 presidential election, garnering 39.99 per cent of all cast ballots.

Earlier this month, Arroyo advocated for the complete disarmament of MILF members, declaring, "We have a whole array of packages for those who want to turn their swords into ploughshares."

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