Gov’t tried to hide status of
implementation of 1996 peace pact -- MNLF
By Gandhi
C. Kinjiyo / Mindanews / 22 May 2006
PALIMBANG,
Sultan Kudarat -- The Organization of Islamic Conference
delegation that visited the country has known the state of the
implementation of the 1996 GRP-MNLF peace agreement despite the
government’s alleged attempt to hide the real score.
This was the statement of MNLF Vice-Chairman Jimmy Labawan,
Secretary General Ustadz Murshi Ibrahim and National Coordinator
Haji Gapul Hadjirul to some 1,000 fighters and supporters at Nur
Misuari Camp, Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat Province on Sunday.
Hadjirul said that Libyan Ambassador Salem Adem informed Misuari
during their visit to his ‘house arrest’ residence in Quezon
City on May 16 that the MNLF remains the sole Bangsamoro
representative to the 57-member pan-Islamic body.
He said most of those who accompanied the OIC delegation from
Manila to Cagayan de Oro City were members of the so-called
Executive Council of 15 and not the “legitimate MNLF officials.”
The council had earlier declared Misuari ousted as chairman.
They later returned, however, the chairmanship to Misuari and
claimed that they were back in their previous designations.
“What we discovered was that we were given tickets for the
second flight, while the delegation was on the first flight,”
Hadjirul said.
“In my case, they routed me to Davao instead of Cagayan de Oro,
but I was able to make it to Cagayan on my own initiative,” he
continued.
“While waiting for the delegation to arrive in Manila, we
proposed to the OPAPP (Office of the Presidential Adviser on the
Peace Process) headed by Secretary Jesus Dureza an itinerary
that the delegation would be able to visit MNLF camps to meet
the people from the ground and hear their sentiments especially
Camp Kauran in Ampatuan, Maguindanao, where a huge crowd would
be waiting on May 19,” he explained.
“In the meeting with OPAPP, it was agreed to include Kauran, but
when they gave us the final copy of itinerary, Kauran was not
there,” he added.
Had there also been no deceptive text message circulating saying
that the OIC would not come that day, many would have been
present at Kauran, “ he said.
He, however, said that at least 10,000 MNLF forces with firearms
showed themselves up in Sulu which is part of the OIC
delegation’s itinerary.
“What we did was that we still gathered thousands of our forces
and supporters in Kauran despite uncertainties, then we warned
the other party (government) that we will abandon the agreement
once [sic] they failed to bring the delegations to the site,”
Labawan revealed.
”Fortunately, they were compelled to do so, but they gave us
only 10 minutes to do the program,” he said.
“Then we instructed our forces to stand shoulder to shoulder to
cordon the stage so the delegation and OPAPP officials could not
pass through until we finished the program, while our women
served them lunch and we were able to steal more than one hour.
We let only Ustadz Murshi to deliver our message in Arabic and
English,” he explained
“I realized that in dealing with the government, you must be
speculative, clever, tactful, patient and more intelligent,”
Labawan remarked.
Hadjirul said the delegation questioned the government team
where the OIC ‘aid’ amounting to millions of dollars went
because the projects presented to them in the sites they visited
were sponsored by the United Nations Development Program and
other foreign donors.
He added the OIC delegation “invited the chairman (Misuari) to
the upcoming meeting of the OIC Head of States at Azerbaijan on
June 17 and the tripartite meeting in Jeddah anytime this July,
thus, they must release Chairman Nur as early as possible.”
The OIC brokered the 1996 peace agreement between the government
and the MNLF. (
