ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines鈥擳he meeting was intended to unify the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). It ended with three factions of the former agreeing to move as one for a common goal.
During the June 11-12 meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, three factions of the MNLF鈥擧abib Mudjahab Hashim鈥檚 MNLF Islamic Command Council, the Executive Committee of 15 led by Muslimin Sema and Nur Misuari鈥檚 group, represented by lawyer Randolph Parcasio鈥攕igned an agreement to have 鈥渁 unified, solid position toward efforts to arrive at a political, just and lasting peaceful solution鈥� to the Bangsamoro question.
Hashim, in a phone interview with the Inquirer on June 26, said the three groups also agreed to have Misuari as their representative.
Misuari, however, has been in hiding since his men attacked Zamboanga City in September last year. He will be represented by Parcasio.
鈥淲e have discussed with MNLF senior leaders, together with OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation), to intervene and seek for the lifting of Misuari鈥檚 arrest warrant,鈥� Hashim said.
The new group, in a statement that Hashim sent to the Inquirer, said it maintained the 鈥渙neness of the MNLF under the leadership of MNLF founding leader and central committee chair Nur Misuari.鈥�
The statement was signed by Hashim, Sema, Parcasio, Ustadz Abdulbaki Abubakar, Jimmy Labawan, Abdul Jabbar Narra, Yahodza Simpal, Hatimil Hassan, Shakiruddin Bajin and Mashur Jundam.
Hashim said no formal talks happened between the MNLF and the MILF.
鈥淲e just greeted each other,鈥� he said.
The MILF recently signed a peace agreement with the government. The MNLF, on the other hand, has been complaining that the government failed to fully implement the provisions of the peace deal that it signed in 1996. The MILF is a breakaway group of the MNLF.
In a text message, lawyer Emmanuel Fontanillas, who belongs to Misuari鈥檚 group, confirmed the unification.
鈥淵es, they are now united and that is expected, since he (Misuari) is the originator of the modern struggle. Eventually, all fronts will unite under him,鈥� Fontanillas said.
Misuari was not invited to the Jeddah meeting initiated by the OIC.
But Hashim said they were in constant contact with Misuari during the two-day meeting.
The MNLF senior leaders also agreed that Parcasio would be the spokesperson of the 鈥淢NLF Jeddah Formula.鈥�
Hashim said they hoped that the Department of Justice would review the cases filed against Misuari.
Zamboanga City Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said the decision to lift the warrant of arrest against Misuari was for the Regional Trial Court in Taguig to decide.
鈥淚 believe that the court will appreciate the merits of the case,鈥� Salazar said. Julie S. Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao