Misuari meets followers in Sulu – AFP

MANILA, Philippines - Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chairman Nur Misuari, who is facing rebellion charges over the 2013 Zamboanga siege, met with his followers in Indanan, Sulu on Sunday, the military said yesterday.

Citing information relayed by concerned citizens and some of those who attended the meeting, Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado, Joint Task Group Sulu chief, said the assembly took place at Camp Astana in Sitio Bakud, Barangay Kagay.

It was reportedly the second meeting of the group since last month.

About 2,000 people, including the heads of the MNLF revolutionary committees, unit commanders and members of the central committee parliament attended the meeting.  

The agenda of the meeting reportedly focused on the results of the tripartite review of the 1996 final peace agreement in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and the MNLF’s take on Bangsamoro independence.

“As observed, there was no mention of any future hostile actions from the MNLF leadership. They are (focused on) their organizational structures,” Arrojado said.

Military informants said Misuari’s eldest son Hadji Uto Karim Misuari was elected vice chairman of the MNLF central committee during the meeting. Hadji succeeded Orlando Olamit, who resigned due to health reasons.

An intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they could not arrest Misuari despite reports of his whereabouts because “there is no guidance yet from the higher ups.” – Alexis Romero, Roel Pareño