DND chief hopes Misuari will adopt peaceful means

MANILA, Philippines - Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin yesterday expressed hope that Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)  chairman Nur Misuari would pursue his cause through peaceful means.

“I hope he does it calmly and in a peaceful way so that those who have nothing to do with it will not be involved,” Gazmin told journalists who asked for his reaction on Misuari’s declaration of independence from the Philippines, and on the establishment of what the MNLF chief called the “Bangsamoro Republik.”

The declaration of independence was made last week in Barangay Lampaya, Talipao town in Sulu, where Misuari designated himself as the commander-in-chief of the Bangsamoro Armed Forces.

Malacañang refused to recognize Misuari’s declaration, as it maintained that there is only one Philippine republic.

Asked whether Misuari’s declaration could be considered a threat, Gazmin said it would depend on how the threat is carried out.

The defense chief said comunication among the Philippine Marine Corps, the Sulu local government and the MNLF is ongoing.

He said he would also verify reports that Misuari’s followers are set to declare independence in Cotabato.

Founded by Misuari, the MNLF sought to establish an Islamic state in the south.

In 1976, it signed the Tripoli agreement with the government, which led to the creation of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in 1996.

Members who were dissatisfied with the peace deal broke away from the group and formed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.