Malaysia and Brunei will send special teams to the Philippines in October to monitor a ceasefire between the government and Muslim separatist rebels, President Gloria Arroyo's spokesman said today.

Formal peace talks between the government and the Muslim separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are being scheduled at about the same time as the deployment of the Malaysian and Brunei peace monitors, presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said in a statement.

A special nine-member advance team from Malaysia will arrive from Kuala Lumpur on Friday to lay the groundwork for the full deployment of the monitoring teams in October, Bunye said.

Earlier, Malaysian Defence Minister Najib Razak said eight officers would arrive in Manila on Friday and a team of team of 60 - 51 army officers, five policemen and four foreign ministry officials - would arrive by Oct 9.

10-men Brunei team

Bunye said that Brunei would contribute 10 men to the monitoring team, adding that Arroyo would meet with that contingent when she visits Brunei on Thursday to attend the wedding of the Southeast Asian sultanate's crown prince.

The monitoring team will observe both the ceasefire in place between the government and the MILF and will also inspect development projects in areas affected by the separatist war in the southern part of this largely-Roman Catholic nation.

The southern Philippines has been plagued by Muslim separatist violence for over three decades. Aside from sending peace monitors, Muslim Malaysia has also offered a neutral venue for forthcoming peace talks with the MILF, the main Muslim rebel group.