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Saturday, November 12, 2005
Moro guerillas seek release of jailed rebel leader
By Al Jacinto
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Muslim separatist rebels negotiating peace with Manila has urged President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Friday to free a detained ex-guerrilla leader for humanitarian reason.
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said it would send a formal letter to Arroyo and ask her to release Nur Misuari, who is facing rebellion charges.
"Nur Misuari is one of the recognized leaders of the Bangsamoro people. He's been jailed long enough without any liberty. Nur Misuari has suffered enough, so for humanitarian reason, we urged President Gloria Arroyo to free him for humanitarian reason," said MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu.
Misuari was the leader of the former separatist rebel group MILF, which signed a peace agreement with the government in September 1996.
Misuari later became governor of the five-province Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm).
In November 2001, on the eve of the Armm elections, Misuari accused the government of reneging on the peace agreement and launched a new rebellion in Jolo Island, where more than 100 people were killed.
Misuari then fled to Malaysia but was arrested and sent back home where he is facing rebellion charges.
MILF spokesman Kabalu said the former rebel leader is suffering from acute arthritis and heart problems, among other diseases.
"Nur Misuari was not allowed, even for once, to leave his detention place and go to the hospital or see his private doctors, unlike disgraced Philippine leader Joseph Estrada," Kabalu said.
Misuari is currently detained on a police camp in Sta. Rosa town in Laguna province outside Manila.
He added that former President Joseph Estrada, who is facing plunder charges, is currently under house arrest and had been on many occasions allowed by the courts to either visit his family or even seek medication abroad for his arthritis.
Many of Misuari's former fighters have threatened to abandon the 1996 peace agreement and renew hostilities in the southern Philippines if their ex-leader was not freed.
Despite the accord, there was widespread disillusionment with the weak autonomy they were granted and they accused the government of failing to honor the peace agreement.
Under the accord, Manila would have provided a mini-marshal plan to spur developments in Muslim areas in the south and livelihood and housing assistance to tens of thousands of former rebels to uplift their poor living standards.
Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) members accused the government of failing to develop the areas that remain mired in poverty, heavily militarized, and dependent financially on Manila, and a huge number of disgruntled former fighters have either joined the MILF, now the country's largest separatist rebel group, or the smaller but notorious Abu Sayyaf group, which is tied to al Qaeda terror network.
Misuari was also removed as MNLF chairman after disgruntled senior members led by Muslimin Sema, the front's secretary general, accused him of being incompetent.
Misuari's deputy Hatimil Hassan is now chairman of the MNLF. (Sun.Star Zamboanga/Sunnex)
(November 12, 2005 issue)
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