Misuari ready to talk peace with government

MANILA, Philippines - Fugitive Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chairman Nur Misuari surfaced in Sulu yesterday and then met with President Duterte at Malacañang to discuss peace between the government and the Muslim rebels in Mindanao.

Duterte recalled how he had accepted Misuari with open arms when he was still vice mayor of Davao City and “I said that maybe someday we can finally talk about peace.”

“And little did I know, brother Nur, by the grace of Allah, I became the president of the republic and in the twilight of our years, we would be able to talk about the problem of our country, the revolution that you have led all these years and finally, understanding on a common ground with government,” Duterte said.

“And that I assure you, I said, as you have narrated, we will come up with the modality and then of course, how to place us in our proper homeland, our Mindanao, and that we will talk about the Bangsamoro Authority,” the President added.

Duterte said he and Misuari were now ready for the peace negotiations and even the federal system of government, “give everybody his due, do justice to the Moro people” who had been victimized by atrocities for years.

Duterte and Misuari embraced each other before Misuari on the President’s instance approached the podium and spoke.

Misuari vowed to cooperate with Duterte’s peace efforts as he assailed the media for supposedly distorting his statements. He expressed confidence that the President would fulfill his promise to bring lasting peace to the country.

The impact of the Zamboanga City siege, for which Misuari is wanted, was not mentioned during the speeches of Duterte and Misuari. The aging MNLF leader, however, mentioned the event to stress that his group was not yet a spent force as portrayed by media.

Misuari said even the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), the breakaway group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), was sympathetic with him and told him “if you go to war, count on us.”

“I want people to be truthful about things. If you want us to be fair with you, you want us to deal with you, please be fair with us, just tell the truth, simple truth,” Misuari said. 

Sipadan hostage-taking

Misuari also revealed that some Malaysian leaders were behind the Sipadan kidnapping incident in April 2000. A total of 21 people, mostly European tourists, were kidnapped in a dive resort in Sipadan, Malaysia and were held by the Abu Sayyaf for more than a year in Mindanao.

“…one day, I will drag their leaders into that International Criminal Court. I have all the evidence in my hands. My people are everywhere and besides, they cannot escape because they are hiring my own people,” Misuari said.

The MNLF founder lamented that his group was blamed for the kidnapping incident. Misuari was governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao at the time.

Misuari also narrated his role in the release of some Abu Sayyaf hostages, including Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad. He also agreed with and backed Duterte’s war against illegal drugs.

More inclusive

Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 158 Judge Maria Rowena Modesto-San Pedro issued an eight-page resolution on Oct. 27 granting the motion of Misuari to suspend the proceedings and warrants of arrest against him in connection with the September 2013 Zamboanga City siege.

The court said the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and the Department of Justice not only supported but also adopted Misuari’s motion to temporarily set aside the cases against him so he could participate in the peace talks.

The President said this was done upon his orders.

Duterte said the warrants of arrest were “lifted” but Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II clarified they were only suspended.

The local government of Zamboanga City, the court noted, likewise did not oppose the motion.

Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza, who fetched Misuari from Sulu to meet Duterte in Malacañang, was described by Duterte as a key player in his road map to peace in Mindanao.

Habib Mujahab Hashim, chair of the MNLF’s Islamic Command Council (ICC), said Dureza presented the suspended warrants to Misuari, who emerged in Jolo with several of his armed MNLF followers.

Hashim said Dureza escorted Misuari out of Jolo at 11:25 a.m. to meet with Duterte originally in Davao City.

Duterte cited Dureza for the leg work that paved the way for Misuari’s appearance at the Palace. 

Misuari is facing charges of rebellion and violation of Republic Act 9851 or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity as his men held hostage Zamboanga City residents and put the place under siege for almost a month.

The suspension of proceedings and the enforcement of the warrants of arrest against Misuari will be effective for six months, unless sooner lifted by the court, read the order directed at the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines and the National Bureau of Investigation.

The local government of Zamboanga City initiated the filing of the cases against Misuari and wanted him held accountable for the 21-day siege that killed more than 200 civilians, soldiers and rebels. 

Duterte earlier called on the military and police not to arrest Misuari so as not to jeopardize government efforts to forge peace with the MNLF.

In its decision, the court cited the vital role of Misuari in the peace talks and that pursuing negotiations with the MNLF was a political assessment of the executive department.

Hashim said the meeting of Misuari and Duterte would boost the chances of lasting peace in Mindanao.

The government has been talking peace with the MILF but the Duterte government wants the MNLF and other sectors included, as well as the full implementation of all Bangsamoro peace agreements.

The government of Zamboanga City and the AFP also declared their full support for Duterte’s “bold and fresh” initiatives to bring out Misuari to achieve sustainable peace in Mindanao.

But Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said the city would pursue its cases against Misuari for his alleged masterminding the bloody September 2013 siege.

“Secretary Jess (Dureza exerted) effort to explain that Misuari’s release is temporary and subject to several conditions imposed by the court,” Salazar said.

Salazar said she had mentioned to Duterte on several conversations that Misuari must be made accountable for his alleged crimes against the people of the city. “We trust (that) justice will eventually be served,” Salazar said.

AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said the military could only hope that Misuari’s surfacing would lead to a big leap in attaining peace. “We, as members of the AFP, are abiding by the orders of our commander-in-chief, because we know that his only desire is to have a lasting peace in our country,” Padilla said.

“There will be some opposition to this move but let us wait. The process is yet to be finished and let us allow our negotiators to work (on) this. The more important thing is to serve justice but at the same it is also equally paramount to bring peace to the land,” Padilla said.

Law enforcers failed to effect Misuari’s arrest as he had surrounded himself with heavily armed fighters in the MNLF jungle base in Sulu. – With Edu Punay, Roel Pareño, Jaime Laude