TALKED TO NUR DURING CABINET MEETING Duterte reveals Nur Misuari given full authority to negotiate with Abu Sayyaf

From GMA News (Sep 18): TALKED TO NUR DURING CABINET MEETING Duterte reveals Nur Misuari given full authority to negotiate with Abu Sayyaf

President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday revealed that he gave Moro National Liberation Front leader Nur Misuari and Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza the full authority to negotiate with the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

"It was a long, long negotiation as far as I'm concerned. I've talked with Nur Misuari, even in the Cabinet meetings I had him called and he assured us that we would be able to recover, alive and well, Kjartan," Duterte said in a press briefing at the Matina Enclave in Davao City.

"I was just directing the traffic... to go about the job and simply investing upon them, the full authority to negotiate and see to it that nothing of this sort will happen again,' he added.

Duterte had said that he would not want to detain Misuari, who is facing rebellion charges for the 20-day Zamboanga City siege in 2013.

Before his speech, Duterte shook the hand of released Norwegian hostage Kjartan Sekkingstad.

Duterte also thanked former Sulu governor Abdusakur Tan for helping in efforts to secure the Norwegian hostage.

"First of all I would like to thank the efforts, the efforts beyond human patience of Secretary Dureza and of course, Nur Misuari, who all along assured us sthat he would need time but he would succeed. So he said, many months ago, and I would like to thank him also, and of roucse, Sakurtan, the former governor of Sulu," he said.

Sekkingstad was abducted by gunmen, along with Canadian nationals John Ridsel and Robert hall and Filipina Marites Flor, on Samal Island in September last year.

The Norwegian was released Saturday afternoon by the ASG to the Moro National Liberation Front in Patikul, Sulu.

The two Canadians, meanwhile, were beheaded by the bandits while Flor was released last June.

In his speech, Duterte said that he could not declare that Mindanao is already safe.
"Is it safe in Mindanao? I cannot tell you now, but we are trying our very best to put order in this country," he said.

"We are racked with wracked with so many problems: kidnapping in the South, terrorism, drugs and I would say I would need time to put everything in order," he added.

Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Col.  Restituto Padilla earlier said in a radio dzBB interview that the ASG is still holding at least 20 hostages.

The ASG had also released three Indonesian sailors on Saturday night.

Dureza said during the presentation of Sekkingstad that the three Indonesian hostages have been turned over to a representative of the Indonesian government.

"They are already on their way to Jakarta," Dureza said.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/581867/news/nation/duterte-reveals-nur-misuari-given-full-authority-to-negotiate-with-abu-sayyaf