THE government has requested the Moro National Liberation Front to help it deal with the extremist elements in Mindanao, a senior Cabinet official said Saturday night.
This was after President Rodrigo Duterte again met privately with MNLF founding chairman Nur Misuari, who is facing arrest for the alleged P115.2-million textbook scam in 2000 and 2001 at Davao City,” Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza told the Manila Standard in a text message.
“I talked about closer coordination with the MNLF on the ground, especially on our common effort to deal with violent extremism,” Dureza said.
He said Duterte and Misuari “mainly discussed the government’s plan on the proposed Bangsamoro region and the country’s shift to federalism” following concerns on how to move forward as no lawmaker had volunteered to sponsor the BBL. Before the meeting, Duterte had presented a “game plan”to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front on how to ensure that the Bangsamoro Basic Law would pass in Congress, Dureza said.
“It’s really how to make sure that it will really pass because if you let it go, if you certify it just like that, when it gets to Congress there might be questions from the members of Congress because there are still many constitutional issues,” Dureza told reporters in Malacañang on Thursday.
Asked if a possible sponsor for the proposed BBL in Congress was discussed during the meeting, Dureza skirted the question.
“As I said, we would craft a way forward on how to husband it, so to speak,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Dureza said Misuari “had some concerns” brought up to Duterte” that “he requested to be confidential.”
Asked on the possible arrest raps against Misuari, Dureza said it was Misuari’s lawyers who should explain his legal woes.
In a resolution, the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division had found probable cause to hold Misuari and his co-respondents on trial and his co-accused over the so-called textbook scam.
