A southern Philippine island that has been the scene of a prolonged hostage crisis voted to join a Muslim autonomous area, officials said today.
President Ms Gloria Arroyo said Basilan island and its surrounding islands had voted to join a four-province Muslim autonomous area in a plebiscite held on Tuesday.
The Muslim Abu Sayyaf guerilla group had held 18 people, including at least two Americans, hostage on the island for months despite an aggressive military campaign.
"Marawi City, the province of Basilan and possibly Cotabato City have voted to join the expanded Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao [ARMM]" in Tuesday's referendum in the southern Philippines, Ms Arroyo said.
The two southern cities of Marawi and Cotabato are on the main southern island of Mindanao.
Mr Jose Joson, an official with the Commission on Elections, which conducted the plebiscite, said initial results showed about 70 per cent of votes cast in Basilan favoured joining the ARMM.
About 80 per cent of Basilan's votes had already been counted, Mr Joson said.
The plebiscite, in which the government offered to hand over nearly 23 per cent of Philippine territory to the ARMM, was overwhelmingly rejected by the electorate of 10 other provinces and 12 cities.
AFP