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Monday, January 07, 2008
Misuari's release up to court: Palace
MANILA -- Government is leaving it to the court to decide whether Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chairman and former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) chairman Nur Misuari will be released from detention.
His spiritual adviser and other co-accused in the failed mutiny in Sulu in 2001 have already been released.
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Presidential peace adviser Jesus Dureza and deputy spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said it was the court that decided to free Misuari's spiritual adviser, Ustadz Abuharris Usman, and his six escorts, Johan Sansibar, Haron Bakil, Ismael "Maeng" Uddin, Kamar Abdurajak, Omar Abdullah and Abdu Akil.
"Nur's case is with the court. Hence, the court will decide, as it did in the other co-accused," Dureza said.
Fajardo said Misuari's co-accused all filed petitions for bail and they are leaving it to Misuari if he would follow them and if the court will grant it.
Bail
Usman, after getting approval from Judge Winlove Dumayas of the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 59, posted P100,000 as bail on Friday and immediately flew to Patikul in Sulu to join his family.
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Misuari allies called on the government to free the former MNLF chairman who has been in prison for almost six years now for the failed mutiny in Jolo in November 2001.
Misuari, who protested what he said were the government's non-compliance of certain provisions of the RP-MNLF Final Agreement of 1996, was arrested in Malaysia and deported to Manila in 2002.
Dureza and Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said the government has nothing against freeing Misuari, especially if it would be in connection with his attendance to the next tripartite meeting between the Philippine government, the MNLF and the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) this month.
Review
Dureza said the technical working groups of both the government and the MNLF have been meeting for the past five days, reviewing the 1996 agreement and the compliance with its provisions, including the drawing up of measures to ensure continued implementation and strengthening of the peace agreement.
The results of the five-day meeting, held at the Indonesian Embassy in Manila, will be presented in the next tripartite meeting, which Dureza hopes will be held in the Philippines.
"Misuari's attendance may be facilitated, subject to approval...Let's wait till the meeting ends tomorrow (Monday). Then we will know the final schedule," he said.
The government panel, MNLF, and OIC tentatively set a date for the next tripartite meeting on January 14.
Bunye said the government is inclined to allow Misuari's attendance in the next meeting after it initially agreed to his temporary release in November last year for the three-day tripartite meeting in Jeddah. Misuari, however, failed to attend.
"If that is an indication of the mindset of the administration, then we are wiling to let him go and attend the OIC meeting. But in the end, what is important is we achieve a long term solution to the situation in Mindanao," he said. (JMR/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Manila. (January 7, 2008 issue)
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