WORLD : Aquino Regime Nears 1st Defeat

President Corazon Aquino’s government headed for its first electoral defeat since coming to power in 1986 with early returns showing voters overwhelmingly rejecting autonomy proposals for the southern Philippines.

Many Muslims in the battle-scarred region of Mindanao, 500 miles south of Manila, heeded the call by the separatist Moro National Liberation Front to boycott the controversial poll.

In Christian-dominated areas the government autonomy plan was thrown out by wide margins, according to preliminary, unofficial returns broadcast by state radio.

In Zamboanga, the largest city in the proposed autonomous region, rejection in Christian areas was running at 90% of ballots cast, and at 95% in Iligan city, another major Christian center.