Military says Misuari ‘hiding like a rat’

From the Manila Times (Feb 17): Military says Misuari ‘hiding like a rat’

The military remains clueless on the whereabouts of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Chairman Nur Misuari, who vanished after MNLF members seized some barangays in Zamboanga City in September last year.

Col. Jose Johriel Cenabre, commander of the Second Marine Brigade based in Sulu, on Monday said the Armed Forces and Police force continue their relentless efforts to locate Misuari and arrest him. There have been reports that Misuari was spotted in Sulu but they could not confirmed these reports.

“We continuously validate his exact location but we could not locate him, [he’s] hiding like a rat,” Cenabre said. “Never had we spotted him since the Zamboanga siege, that is the real story.”

He added that there were also reports that Misuari is already in Indonesia or in the Middle East but these were also unconfirmed.

Cenabre admitted that Misuari is not easy to track down because the MNLF leader has supporters who continue to protect him.

The official added that government troops continue to engage lawless elements in Mindanao, including Misuari’s group.

“It’s a relentless effort,” Cenabre stressed.

In September 2013, hundreds of MNLF members stormed several barangays in Zamboanga City, triggering clashes that lasted three weeks. The clashes left 102 MNLF rebels and 20 soldiers dead.

http://manilatimes.net/military-says-misuari-hiding-like-a-rat/76444/