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| Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan |
JOLO,
SULU – Religious and civic leaders from Sulu have joined calls for the Moro
National Liberation Front (MNLF) not to crank up it war machine even as Sulu
Gov. Abdusakur Tan bared movements by the rebel group’s commanders following
threats from their leaders for a possible resumption of war.
“MNLF
Commanders are making their rounds in some parts of Sulu, I was able to talk to
them and sinabi ko na pagbigyan nila tayo tungo sa kapayapaan. I also sent word
to my brother Chairman Nur Misuari and one of these days mag-uusap kami,” Tan
said in a statement sent from Jolo, Sulu.
“Ipinarating
ko sa kanya na maging mahinahon, sa ganitong paraan we can resolve any
misunderstanding and have genuine peace in Sulu and the whole of Mindanao. I
have made my appeal to everybody to keep their cool. Walang mangyayari sa atin
kung tayo ay babalik na naman sa nakaraan, kawawa ang mga tao dito sa Sulu at
sa buong Mindanao,” Tan said of the war started by MNLF Chair Nur Misuari more
than 40 years ago and which has thus far claimed more than 100,000 lives.
“We
cannot sacrifice again the people of Mindanao, they have already suffered so
much. I told the (MNLF) commanders that the government is sincere in pursuing
peace in the region; and that their role as leaders of the MNLF is very
important in the achievement of this goal, as leaders they should set the
example,” Tan said, adding:
“Walang
repormang mangyayari kung ang kapayapaan ay hindi natin pagbibigyan. I will not
support and allow anything that is not PRO-PEOPLE at handa akong makiusap at
pigilan ang kahit sinong grupo na magsisimula ng gulo dito sa Sulu at Mindanao.”
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| MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari |
Earlier,
Misuari and Habib Mujahab Hashim, the MNLF’s Islamic Command council chair, raised
strong objection to the government’s signing of new peace accord with the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MNLF) and threatened to return to war footing.
“Because
there is no other recourse now for the (MNLF), at least the majority of the
senior leaders of the MNLF, we have no other recourse but to go back to the
original objective of arms struggle,” Hashim warned.
But
Tan assured that at present, no untoward incident had occurred in any part of
Sulu.
“At
present, tayo naman po ay pinagbigyan at wala akong nakikita na hindi dapat
mangyayari. We are always in communication with the MNLF commanders and our
call for peace is well accepted by our MNLF brothers,” he said.
According
to Tan, his call for peace is well supported by Islamic religious groups in
Sulu to include the Ulama Council under Sharif Julasri Abirin, the grand mufti
of Sulu and various civil society groups who have started initiatives to talk
with friends and relatives among the MNLF not to disturb the peace in the
province and other parts of Mindanao.
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