MANILA, Philippines -- House Speaker Prospero Nograles has the backing of former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) governor Nur Misuari on the proposed shift to a federal form of government.

But instead of 11 states, Misuari wants the Philippines to be divided into four federal states only: Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and the National Capital Region.

“Instead of carving out 11 states, we would like to propose that we transform it into only four. We want to see the emergence of Luzon as a state, the Visayas as a state, Mindanao as state and Metro Manila as a state. So we will have four,” Misuari said at a press conference after his meeting with Nograles on Tuesday.

“I think this will expedite the resolution of not only the political but even the military and economic of problems of Mindanao,” said Misuari, founder of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a secessionist group which signed a peace pact with Manila in 1996.

Each state should have 24 senators, Misuari said.

For his part, Nograles said he would hold a series of meetings with leaders of various political parties in the House of Representatives and form a panel.

"I will convene the leaders of the political parties next week and we will discuss this issue,” he said.

“The panel will hold discussion with their Senate counterpart and thresh out the mode by which the proposal to amend the Constitution can be pursued,” he said in a statement.

If both chambers of Congress agree to the proposed constitutional amendments, Nograles said changes in the Charter may be ratified by the people simultaneous with the 2010 presidential polls.