Police, military closing in on Misuari

MANILA, Philippines - Police and military operatives are preparing to assault a rebel stronghold in Sulu to arrest fugitive Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chairman Nur Misuari, reports said.

A source told The STAR yesterday that elite police and military units were sighted several kilometers from an MNLF stronghold where Misuari has been holed up after an arrest warrant was issued by the Zamboanga City regional trial court (RTC) late last year in connection with the siege of Zamboanga City.

“After the signing of the peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) the police and military units might strike anytime to arrest Misuari,” the source said.

He said cell phone signals were already jammed to disrupt the communication lines of the MNLF rebels in the area.

He said Misuari is among those considered by the government as one of the possible “spoilers” of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) between the government and the MILF.

The source said Misuari would be the target of new police and military operations in Mindanao against spoilers of the peace accord.

A senior security official, however, denied that an assault operation against Misuari is underway.

“That is not true,” the official, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to the media, said.

Lawyer Emmanuel Fontanilla, MNLF spokesman, confirmed that government preparations were laid out to assault MNLF camps in Sulu to arrest Misuari and also clear the Liguasan Marsh in central Mindanao to pave the way for oil exploration.

“We are expecting military operations in some parts of Sulu and the Liguasan Marsh area after the signing of the MILF peace accord,” he said.

Fontanilla said the military operations in Central Mindanao would be concentrated on the Sultan sa Barongis and Tulunan areas where an oil pipeline has allegedly been installed by the Malaysians to exploit oil resources in the Liguasan Marsh.

The operations in Sulu would be limited to the areas where government forces believe Misuari is hiding.

“The Malaysian cannot proceed drilling because of the presence of MNLF and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) camps in the area,” he said.