Nur reinvented

Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chairman and founder Nur Misuari has returned to the political limelight after he was consigned to being a pariah following the 2013 Zamboanga City siege when he declared an independent Bangsa Moro Republik.

The battle that followed Misuari’s bold move resulted in more than 300 killed, majority of whom were MNLF fighters.

President Rodrigo Duterte, from the time he stepped in Malacañang, sought the help of Misuari in applying solutions to the deep problems of Mindanao.

Recently, the government gave indications that the age-old claim to Sabah will be pursued to fulfill a campaign promise of Mr. Duterte.

The MNLF chief may hold the key to uniting the fragmented royal clan as they pursue conflicting claims and methods to stake their historic claims.

Misuari had maintained his clout as up to now, he remains the only recognized voice in the Philippines at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The MNLF also has a pending petition with the United Nations for the independence of the Bangsa Moro Republik which included the territorial claim to Sabah and Sarawak islands.

The plea has been filed with the UN committee on decolonization which was the same avenue that East Timor took in attaining independence from Portugal.

Misuari, however, ordered a halt to any political activity related to the Bangsa Moro Republik as a result of the UN proceeding.

Including Sabah and Sarawak in the proposed independent Muslim state was in recognition of the Sultanate of Sulu which Misuari said was the real owner of the territories long before Malaysia became a sovereign country.

The creation of Misuari’s proposed state will free the Bangsa Moro provinces from the occupation of both Malaysia and the Philippines, according to the MNLF.

The declaration of independence, the MNLF claims, had gained the attention of the international community particularly the 57 members of the OIC which closely watches political developments in Mindanao.

The OIC has granted the MNLF a permanent observer status during its plenary sessions and also recognized Misuari as the sole representative of the Bangsa Moro people.

Due to an arrest warrant issued by the Zamboanga RTC, Misuari has not attended the foreign ministers meetings of the OIC but at the instance of the President, the arrest warrant was suspended which allowed Misuari to come down from his mountain hideout and visit Malacañang on the invitation of President Duterte.

The next step of the MNLF will be to incorporate the Sabah claim of the Sultanate of Sulu to the OIC to pave the way for the inclusion of the disputed territory in the proposed Federal system of government advocated by President Duterte.

The MNLF then will submit to President Duterte the proposed creation of the Bangsa Moro Federal state which will include Sabah and Sarawak.

The path towards attaining historic justice is arduous but what is crucial is that the first few steps have been taken towards recognizing the need to put the dispute over territories on the negotiating table.

President Duterte was again proven right in his prescience in tapping Misuari as a catalyst in resolving the aberrations in history that had troubled parts of Mindanao for so long.

“The path towards attaining historic justice is arduous but what is crucial is that the first few steps have been taken towards recognizing the need to put the dispute over territories on the negotiating table.

“Recently, the government gave indications that the age-old claim to Sabah will be pursued to fulfill a campaign promise of Mr. Duterte.