MANILA - The planned deployment of a Malaysian team to monitor a ceasefire between the Philippines and local Muslim separatists will deter terrorism and help development, President Gloria Arroyo said today.

She urged the public and government agencies to welcome the Malaysians, saying their presence would "be the start of an effective, durable ceasefire process" with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the country's largest Muslim separatist group.

In a statement, Arroyo said the Malaysians' presence would "deter terrorist acts and enable rehabilitation and development programs to take a speedier, unhampered course" in war-torn areas of the southern Philippines.

"Malaysia has agreed to deploy a ceasefire observer team to help us de-escalate violence to pave the way for speedier rehabilitation," Arroyo stressed.

Pending legal process

Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye clarified that the Malaysian role was "an agreement in principle" but that Kuala Lumpur still had to go through its own legal process before approving the assignment.

It has been proposed that Malaysia lead the ceasefire monitoring team comprising also of Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei and Libya.

Malaysia has been fostering the peace negotiations between the Philippines and the 12,500-strong MILF which has been waging a 25-year rebellion for an independent Islamic state in the southern third of this mostly Roman Catholic country.

Manila suspended formal talks with the MILF earlier this year after an upsurge of bombings and raids on civilian targets by suspected MILF guerrillas.

However both sides have held informal talks recently on reviving the peace process. - AFP