File photograph of MNLF faction leader Nur Misuari
Reports reaching Manila indicated that former Moro National Liberation Front leader Nur Misuari, who has standing arrest warrant for criminal charge in connection with the bloody siege in August 2013 by more than 500 MNLF fighters in Zamboanga City, gathered around 2,000 fighters Sunday night in his house in Indanan, Sulu.
The gathering reportedly involved fighters loyal to Misuari, and was called to address organizational leadership changes by installing his son as vice-chairman of his faction of the MNLF.
All the military and police could do was to monitor the "whole day leadership assembly at Camp Astana (residential place of Misuari) in Sitio Bakud, Barangay Kagay.
The Zamboanga incident led to the demise of Misuari's right hand man Ustadz Habier Malik. The siege also killed about 200 combatants, the majority of whom were Moro rebels, with more than other 200 rebels captured and more than 200 persons wounded, including civilians.
Misuari and his group wanted to declare "independence" from the government.
"Wala naman silang hostile action plan. Busy sila sa reorganizational restructuring dahil merong bagong leader, tapos tuwang-tuwa sila na hindi napasa ang Bangsamoro Basic Law dahil favorable sa kanila para ma-implement 'yung [1996] final peace agreement (They did not come up with a plan for hostile action. They were busy with the organizational change, and were apparently quite glad that the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law is dead in the water, because this would tend to favor the prospective implementation of the 1996 MNLF final peace agreement)," Brigadier General Alan Arrojado, commander of the Joint Task Group Sulu, said.
Arrojado said the assembly was attended by representatives from "different state revolutionary committees of the MNLF" and Misuari installed his son Haji Uto Karim as vice-chairman of their faction.
"The agenda of the meeting focused on the results of the tripartite review conducted at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for their continued claim for the implementation of the 1996 final peace agreement and their struggle for their own version of Bangsamoro independence in Mindanao," Arrojado said.
"Hadji Uto Karim, Misuari's eldest and in his late 30's, has a Masters in Arabic and Shariah in Libya. The designation of the younger Misuari was due to the resignation of the temporary vice chairman Orlando Olamit from Davao due to health reasons," he added.
The assembly adjourned at 4 p.m. "and the participants returned to their respective places of origin."
Meanwhile, Arrojado observed that the participants this time numbered more than last year's assembly, which nevertheless drew more than 1,000.
But there are reports that some groups who joined the Misuari assembly were from the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and also representatives from the MILF and its faction Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
"Some of the participants are leaders and members of lawless groups," a military intelligence officer said on condition of anonymity.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/123800/no-arrest-for-misuari-as-he-gathers-2000-fighters-in-sulu
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