NCotabato, Maguindanao leaders vow cooperation amid Zamboanga crisis

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines - Two ethnic Maguindanaon supporters of Nur Misuari on Wednesday assured the 6th Infantry Division (ID) and the governors of Maguindanao and North Cotabato that they will not embark on anything that can spark trouble in Central Mindanao.

Abdullah Omar of Pikit town in North Cotabato, and Vice-Mayor Datu Wata Adzis of the municipality of Datu Saudi, Maguindanao, also promised to help authorities guard the region against any possible intrusion of Misuari’s loyal followers from either Sulu or Basilan.

Omar and Adzis, who both have hundreds of followers, first held a dialogue at Camp Siongco, in Maguindanao's Datu Odin Sinsuat town, with 6th ID’s commander, Major Gen. Romeo Gapuz,  North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza and representatives of Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, before announcing to reporters their common stand on the hostile actions of Misuari’s men.

Omar said he and his followers in North Cotabato already had a consensus not to participate in the violent activities of their comrades even before the 6th ID organized Wednesday's dialogue, held in one of the function halls inside Camp Siongco.

Omar said he agreed to attend the gathering through the persuasion of Mendoza, presiding chairperson of the North Cotabato provincial peace and order council.

Mendoza said she is thankful to Omar and his followers for their assurance to just stand down and remain calm amid the security problems besetting Zamboanga City.

"There is no security problem in North Cotabato we cannot settle through dialogues. We are thankful to our brothers in the MNLF in the province for remaining sober in the wake of the sad situation in Zamboanga City and Basilan," Mendoza said.

Adzis, who was elected vice-mayor of Datu Saudi town in the second district of Maguindanao last May 13, said he conceded to the dialogue without any hesitation to show his support to  Mangudadatu’s backchannel efforts preventing any spillover of hostilities to the province.

“We are for the peaceful resolution of all misunderstandings between the MNLF's `Misuari Group' and the national government,” Adzis said in Filipino.

Adzis and Omar also both denied the insinuations that MNLF forces in Maguindanao loyal to Misuari have already fused ranks with the brigand Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) of the Saudi-trained cleric Ameril Ombra Katoh.

“There is no truth to circulating stories about our group’s having tactically aligned with the BIFF for the purpose of fighting the government,” Adzis said.

Adzis said he and his followers remain committed to the Sept. 2, 1996 government-MNLF peace pact.

“We will never support the hostile actions of our brothers there in Zamboanga City and Basilan. That is what we can assure Gen. Gapuz and the provincial governors of North Cotabato and Maguindanao,” he said.

He said they also recognize and support the efforts of the MNLF’s “Sema Group,” led by former Cotabato City Vice-Mayor Muslimin Sema, to continue opposing the hostilities instigated by Misuari’s followers.