Around one million supporters and fighters of the Philippines largest rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front(MILF), will participate in a four-day congress which aims to strengthen unity among Filipino Muslims, an MILF official said Wednesday.

The congress, which will start Friday and will be held in the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao, was organized by ther MILF together with the Organization of Islamic Conference.

Von Al Haq, spokesman for the MILF, told Xinhua by phone, they organized their event to get the views of the Bangsamoro People as well local leaders on the ongoing peace talks with the government.

He said some of their supporters from Manila are now on their way to Darapanan, the main camp of the MILF in Sultan Kudarat town.

"We are expecting around one million or more participants. Ninety percent of our preparations are in place," Al Haq stressed.

The rebel leader said their forces attending the event are restricted from moving around outside the premises of their camp armed.

"But inside the camp they can wear their uniforms and carry their weapons," he said.

Al Haq said they expect OIC Secretary General, HE Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin Tevetoglu to send his representative to the event.

However, Amalia Alib, 30, who hails from Lanao del Sur, said she opposed the holding of the summit as senior leaders are only using the people for their own interest.

"When the Moro National Liberation Front signed a treaty with the government in 1996, what happened? Nothing. Still we are divided and poor," she said.

She said the government has to be careful in granting the MILF' s demands in their negotiation. The government and the MILF have been negotiating for a peace accord for the past 14 years.

The 12,000-strong MILF is the largest separatist rebel group which seeks to separate Mindanao from the rest of the Philippines and establish an Islamic state in the region.