Nur sees MILF leaders’ return to MNLF

MATI CITY—Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Chair Nur Misuari on Saturday said a number of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leaders, dismayed by the Supreme Court’s trashing of the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA) with the government, had signified their intention to rejoin his group.

The MILF was born of the MNLF in the 1980s when several leaders, disgruntled with Misuari, left his side.

“There’s a lot of them (MILF leaders), even the big players, and before you know it, they will all be back in the fold of the MNLF,” said Misuari, after his meeting with Mati Mayor Michelle Rabat.

MILF civil-military affairs chief Eid Kabalu, however, belied Misuari’s claim.

Kabalu said the MILF was intact and no one was defecting to any group, including the MNLF.

Misuari said those who wanted to change sides had realized the peace agreement the MNLF signed with the government in 1996 was the best option for resolving the Moro problem.

The peace pact between the government and MNLF paved the way for a plebiscite that voted to create the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao comprised of five provinces – Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur – and the cities of Marawi and Isabela.

A sixth province, Shariff Kabunsuan, was carved from Maguindanao and became part of the ARMM, but the legality of its creation has been placed in doubt.

“They began to realize the MNLF formula was the best under the present circumstances,” said Misuari. He, however, did not identify the MILF leaders who wanted to rejoin his group.

He would only say they would soon be formally readmitted to the MNLF. (Dennis Jay Santos, Inq.net)