MANILA,
Nov. 4 -- President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday welcomed Moro National
Liberation Front (MNLF) founding Chairman Nur Misuari in Malacañang Palace in
an occasion that carries great implications in the peace process.
The
MNLF chair was in Malacañang upon the invitation of President Duterte just
hours after receiving a copy of a court resolution suspending the warrant of
arrest issued against him by a Pasig City court for his alleged involvement in
the 2013 Zamboanga siege.
“It
is with great happiness that I announce to the nation that Chairman Nur
Misuari, our brother, who heads the MNLF, has finally decided to just accept my
invitation for him to talk to us,” the President said in a short speech.
“He
has obliged and we are very grateful,” Duterte said.
The
President said that the arrest warrant against Misuari was suspended upon his
orders so that the MNLF chair could join the peace negotiations between
government and the Moro rebel groups.
“I
would like to assure Brother Nur that there was never any intention on my part
to deprive you of your liberty,” Duterte told his guest.
He
reminisced how, when he was still vice mayor of Davao City, Misuari was
accepted with open arms by Duterte and both of them having a vision that they
may someday talk together about peace in Mindanao.
“Little
did they know that by the grace of Allah, I became the President of the
Republic. And in the twilight of our years, we would be able to talk about the
problem of our country, the revolution that you have led all these years and
finally understanding on a common ground with government,” President Duterte
said.
In
the meantime, Misuari began his response with the universal greeting of peace
of the Islamic world because he said that “peace is a most vital humanitarian value
to us.”
“I
came here only to see the President. I came here only in answer to the
invitation of the President, the man whom I respect and trust,” he said.
“For
I believe, as I said during the campaign, ‘that is one single man who can
provide solution to the problem of peace and order to our homeland of
Mindanao’” Misuari said.
He
said that he was grateful to President Duterte for restoring his freedom,
albeit temporarily, and vowed to fully support the Administration’s pursuit of
peace and its war against drugs.
“I am
so happy to be free again owing to the initiative of the President. And now I
came here. Foremost in my mind is: how can we help our President finish his job
through till the end of his six-year term? Because I know for a fact that he will
not abandon his pledge to the people,” Misuari said.
On
the government’s war against illegal drugs, the MNLF chair said that he himself
had personally seen the destructive effects of drug on the lives of young
people in his hometown in Jolo.
“They
are destroying our children, our youth. Who will succeed us after this when our
citizens are already destroyed by these drugs? To us drugs is a restless,
creeping threat to humanity. Drugs is one of the biggest source of crimes to
humanity,” he pointed out as he reiterated his vow to cooperate fully with
government.
“Allow
me to reiterate my sense of gratitude to the President and I promise that
should he need our cooperation in his campaign for peace, you can count on us
Mr. President,” Misuari said.
