DU30 to secure Misuari’s resurfacing

From the Daily Tribune (Jul 7): DU30 to secure Misuari’s resurfacing

President Duterte is willing to secure Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chairman Nur Misuari’s resurfacing as part of another attempt at negotiations with the Islamic rebel forces in Mindanao.

This is what Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza, who was in Davao City yesterday, told the Daily Tribune in an exclusive phone interview, adding that a meeting between the President and Nur is coming soon.

“As much as I don’t want to preempt the President from his statements, yes, we are preparing to personally meet with Nur,” Dureza said, refusing however to give a specific time period in such an encounter.

“Its part of the President’s inclusive governance. In fact, I have personally talked to Nur a couple of times before and after the elections and even during our preparation for the transition. As of now that we’re already settled in our posts, we still do communicate,” he added.

The President himself in his speech before the 69th anniversary of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) last Tuesday admitted that he will be negotiating with the 77-year old Moro rebel leader.

“I’ve been communicating with Nur. Maybe, we’ll go to Jolo and talk to him before we formally agree to talk officially,” President Duterte said.

“I have my team already. I would not mention them now but they are ready on the government side,” he added.

Nur is still in self-exile after inspiring the MNLF faction that supports him to a movement that led to the infamous Zamboanga siege last 2013.

Furthermore, Dureza said that as of now, the government is still framing what the agenda with the MNLF and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“There have been many agreements signed before with the MNLF. And we have the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro already. Some of these pacts were not implemented well. Maybe we’ll be focusing on resolving the implementation aspects,” Dureza explained.

Meanwhile, the President, in observance of the Muslim feast of Ramadan (Eid’l Fitr) assured the Islamic faithful that he will definitely pursue peace given that his being the first Mindanaoan president, he certainly knows how to address the concerns of the Moro people who are still pursuing their brand of revolution.

“This year’s celebration is indeed timely and relevant as the Filipino nation starts a fresh move towards peace, stability, development and progress under a new leadership,” Duterte said.

Dureza stressed that they have to hammer the conditions needed for the supposed release of currently detained top leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF) Benito Tiamzon and Wilma Austria-Tiamzon.
“We are still in the process of determining the release of (the Tiamzon couple). Their release is based on the condition if they would  be necessary in the formal resumption of negotiations between the government and the NDF,” Dureza said.

In a separate interview by the Tribune with one of the Duterte administration’s chief panelists with the reds, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello noted that the freedom of supposed NDF consultants are temporary.

“They have criminal charges apart from rebellion. They still have to answer those. That’s why if they will  be released, it would be conditional and temporary,” Bello said about a week ago.

Bello said that after the peace talks, the select NDF-related detainees might return back in detention.

But for former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, former NDF chief negotiator, the murder and criminal raps of their comrades have to be reviewed.

“The NDF is waging a revolution where violence is necessary. Now, in the process, there would definitely be combatants who are going to die,” Ocampo said.

“Certainly, some of the cases here are trumped up charges from the military,” he added.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/du30-to-secure-misuari-s-resurfacing