Arrest orders derail Rody-Nur dialogue

From The Standard (Aug 13): Arrest orders derail Rody-Nur dialogue 

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s announced meeting with Moro National Liberation Front  founder Nur Misuari did not push through on Friday, but he stressed that he will definitely be speaking with the rebel leader about the envisioned Bangsamoro.

“I will meet Misuari for sure because after the peace panels talk [the agreement] goes up to us. We will be the ones to talk. Hopefully, next year,” Duterte said after speaking with troops at Camp Bautista in Jolo, Sulu.

Duterte admitted that the postponement of the meeting was mainly due to the warrants of arrest against Misuari who was charged with rebellion after the Zamboanga seige in 2014, but the President said Misuari is crucial to the peace process in Mindanao.

“When I shall have met Misuari, I think there’s a better chance [for peace],” Duterte said, admitting that he himself does not want to detain Misuari despite the arrest order against him.

“With his fragile age, I don’t want him detained. It’s better that he stays there,” Duterte said, adding that it would be a big problem if Misuari died while under government custody. “That is a big problem, you lose all chances to have peace talks with anybody there.”

“[But] we’re friends. If he wants to talk to me, I will talk to him,” Duterte said.
Meawhile, Peace Process Adviser Jesus Dureza said he will try to deal with the arrest warrants against Misuari while he engages with other stakeholders in the peace process.

“The warrant is out and he is considered a fugitive. Any effort to get him out have to go through the legal process, we cannot short cut. Whatever it will be, we will have to comply with the legal process,” Dureza said.

Dureza is set to meet with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Kuala Lumpur over the weekend to discuss the formal re-launch of the implementation of the two-year old Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).

Dureza said the government hopes to achieve a new milestone in creating a new version of a Bangsamoro implementing law that can be crafted “as quickly as possible while our national government is working toward federalism.”

“We will do our best to achieve certain milestones,” Dureza said. “We are appealing to the Bangsamoro to come together and work (out) their difference(s) and come up with their proposed enabling law.”

http://thestandard.com.ph/news/-main-stories/top-stories/213170/arrest-orders-derail-rody-nur-dialogue-.html