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June 10, 2000, The Philippine Star, I'm for peace ceasefire -- Nur, by Efren Danao,

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June 10, 2000, The Philippine Star, I'm for peace ceasefire -- Nur, by Efren Danao,

Former rebel chieftain Nur Misuari said yesterday that he and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) which he heads do not intend to wage war against the government again. 

"We don't want a bloodbath. We don't want to turn Mindanao into a killing field," Misuari said in a radio interview. Misuari, governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), is facing mounting criticism for bad-mouthing the go-vernment before the influential Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), an international forum of Muslim states, during a meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia last month. 

He denied blocking a peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which broke away from the MNLF in the 1980s. "Foolishness! Lies! They merely want to create brinkmanship between the MNLF and the government," he said. "We are for peace. That is why we are in support of the tentative OIC resolution for a ceasefire." 

In a speech before OIC leaders, Misuari criticized the government for being slow in honoring its commitments to him as provided in the 1996 peace agreement which he concluded with the administration of Fidel Ramos, President Estrada's successor. 

Misuari has sent his aides to Malacañang to explain his controversial speech, according to Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora. "Governor Misuari has been reporting, he has been sending his assistants to tell us that newspaper reports were wrong," Zamora said. 

The OIC recognizes the MNLF as the sole representative of Mindanao's Muslims. The MNLF has been granted observer status by the OIC. In its bid to create an independent Islamic state, the MILF is seeking OIC recognition. While denying the MILF recognition, the OIC is poised to call on Manila to stop the military offensive against the MILF which the government will reject. Misuari accused his critics of trying to push him into a war against the government. "Maybe they think it is easy to wage war against the MNLF. If I decide to go to war, a million people will rise even from the grave and join me," Misuari said. 

He did admit saying before the OIC that the first three years of the peace agreement was a failure, but added that the OIC, which oversees the implementation of the accord, also held the same view. "That's why President Estrada wanted a three-year extension of my term at ARMM but Congress only wanted one year." Misuari said. 

But his remarks got him into trouble with some lawmakers, who now want an audit of the government funds that his region got, amounting to about P19.5 billion. Denying that he misused money, Misuari said he would snub any congressional investigation 

He denied that the ARMM had already received the money, and said that Congress should be the one that should be investigated for claiming that the funds had already been given. He claimed that he received only "a little over P11 billion" since 1997 and the P650-million seed money given to his predecessors, Zacaria Candao and Liningding Pangandaman, was stopped when he took over. 

"There is discrimination against me. Only 50.29 percent of our budget for insfrastructure has been released, and in trickles," Misuari claimed. Sen. Raul Roco said Misuari was "definitely out of line" in speaking against the government before the OIC. "As a public official, he has sworn to respect and support the government. A government official is duty-bound to honor that oath, whether he is a Muslim or a Christian," Roco said. 

He, however, declined to say if Misuari's complaints were valid. To prevent a repeat of the incident and make sure that the government is well- represented, Sen. John Osmeña called on Malacañang to open another channel of communication with the OIC. 

"Misuari is not a sovereign head of state and the MNLF is not a government. We should not have tolerated Misuari's being our sole contact with the OIC," he said. Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, a former Armed Forces chief and a decorated Mindanao war veteran, belittle Misuari's threat to resurrect the MNLF insurgency. 

"If he wants to go to the mountains, he must do it now," Biazon said. He also doubted Misuari's claim that he has a standing army of 50,000 men saying that most of the MNLF rebels who were integrated into the military or the police force, as provided in the 1996 deal, have already joined the MILF. 

"His bailiwick is now confined to Mambung town in Sulu. Governor Adbusakur Tan will deal with him," said Biazon, who urged the Senate committee on local government to act on his resolution seeking to find out how much money had been actually released for the ARMM. 

Records of the Senate finance committee show that P16.2 billion has been released from 1996 to 1999. Another P281 million has been appropriated for the Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development during the same period. 

Biazon said Misuari would be given a chance to substantiate his claims that the government has been remiss in its committments. To be fair to Misuari, Zamora said Misuari's predecessors should also be investigated. - By Efren Danao 

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