ARMM cops urged to determine cause of Misuari’s declaration of independence

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – The 116 mayors and five provincial governors in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) urged yesterday the regional police to determine the root cause of Nur Misuari’s  independence declaration prior to filing sedition charges against him.

A mayor, who asked not to be named, told The STAR that “charging Misuari with sedition is one thing, addressing the problem is another thing. Addressing both is good for the Mindanao peace process.”

Speaking to reporters, ARMM police director Chief Superintendent Noel delos Reyes said the Sulu police are now documenting Misuari’s actions in preparation for the filing of sedition charges against him and his followers.

“If evidence and circumstances warrant, he shall be charged with sedition,” he said.

Former Cotabato City vice-mayor Muslimin Sema, chairman of the largest group in the MNLF, is worried about the deeper implication to the Mindanao peace process of prosecuting Misuari for sedition without paying attention to the root cause of his action.

“We don’t condone any unlawful act of any individual, more so by anyone from our ranks,” he said.

“What we want is for our authorities to look into this nagging Mindanao problem as a ‘recurring sickness’ that needs correct medication. Investigators tasked to determine if Misuari can be charged with sedition must scratch deep from the surface, uncover the real thing.” 

Misuari signed a final peace agreement with the national government on Sept. 2, 1996.

It paved the way for the integration of some 8,000 MNLF members into the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces, and the assimilation into the political mainstream of many former rebel leaders.

Misuari’s declaration of independence of the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, the Zamboanga peninsula and Palawan was reportedly borne out of dissatisfaction with the implementation of the 1996 government-MNLF final peace agreement.