Duterte to meet Misuari in Davao

SEN. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said on Wednesday that President Rodrigo Duterte would meet Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chairman Nur Misuari in Davao City on December 13 to discuss the prospects of a long and lasting peace in southern Mindanao.

“Sa December 13 sa Davao City ang mi tin g nil a. Na g bu ong Peace Coordinating Committee para mag-us a plan gkun ga no ang maitutulongnina Chairman Nur Misu ar is aka pay a pa ans aM ind anao.‘Yunanggu st on gP angu lo.

Us a plan gt a yo kun ga no ang mai tutu long mos ago bye rn oat mai tutu lon gs ah in aha nap na ting long and lasting peace sa Mindanao (Their meeting is taking place in Davao City on December 13. A Peace Coordinating Committee was organized to discuss what Chairman Nur Misuari and his group could contribute to the peace [effort] in Mindanao. That’s the wish of the President. Just talk about what he [Misuari] can help in exploring long and lasting peace in Mindanao),” Go said.

Go earlier bared that the Government of the Philippines and the MNLF agreed to create a peace coordinating committee between them.

Go said the agreement was reached during the November 11 meeting between Duterte and Misuari in Malacañang, which was also attended by concerned Cabinet officials.

The senator said Misuari remained committed to help promote peace in the south, adding that bigger panels from both sides are expected to discuss the peace agenda.

Duterte and Misuari met in Malacañang three times this year — on February 25, March 19 and July.

The Duterte administration is exploring the possibility of creating a regional government for areas under the influence of the MNLF.

Duterte’s peace adviser, Carlito Galvez, recently said they received guidance from the President to look into the matter.

Galvez admitted that Sulu, Misuari’s turf, has been a “geographical” challenge for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao ( BARMM), whose key leaders included officials of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front ( MILF), a breakaway group of the MNLF.

Sulu rejected the Bangsamoro Organic Law ( BOL), which was questioned before the Supreme Court by Vice Governor

Abdusakur Tan 2nd in a petition he filed in October last year.

Tan alleged the law compels Sulu to be part of the Bangsamoro Region though its residents voted for exclusion.

Duterte earlier said he was planning to offer Misuari the same concessions the government gave to the MILF.

Misuari, who went into hiding after the 2013 Zamboanga City siege led by his troops but was later granted temporary freedom, had been in talks with Duterte following the ratification of the BOL, which replaced the ARMM with the BARMM.