Nur Misuari visits Sulu sultan but denies hand in standoff except his freedom fighters

Former MNLF chairman Nur Misuari visits Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III at his residence in Maharlika Village in Taguig City yesterday. With them are Misuari's wife Tarhata and Kiram's wife Fatima Celia. EDD GUMBAN

Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chairman Nur Misuari yesterday volunteered to serve as emissary to Kuala Lumpur and help in talks to resolve the violence in Sabah peacefully.

Misuari visited Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III at his house in Maharlika Village, Taguig City yesterday.

The MNLF chief told reporters that he is willing to sit down with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak to help end the crisis in Sabah.

"For the sake of peace, and to save the lives of the young Muslims who had joined the Sabah incursion as well as of the Malaysian soldiers, Muslims should not be fighting," he said. "If there is a need for me to visit Kuala Lumpur and possibly iron out differences between the Bangsamoro nation and the Malaysian people, I am willing to do that at my own expense."

Misuari criticized President Aquino for taking the side of Malaysia on the Sabah incursion issue.

He said the Aquino administration handled the situation "badly."

"What the President did was unbecoming of a head of state. Why is he siding with the enemy of his own people? I don't know who is advising him. I hope the President is properly advised and would recant so we could forgive him," he said.

Misuari warned the President against arresting the sultan of Sulu.

"The country will be in total chaos if they do that. The President should be calm and quiet. If he has nothing to say, he should not open his mouth anymore," he added.

Misuari reiterated that he and the MNLF had nothing to do with the Sabah incursion.

"There has been speculation about my supposed involvement in the incursion. These are all wild speculations. I cannot preempt the role of the sultan," he added.

Misuari also denied allegations that he financed the armed men who intruded Sabah.

"If indeed I am that well-off, why should I finance this adventure of the sultan's men? They are only about 200 people. That is not my way of doing things," he said.

But Nur Misuari, who founded the Moro National Liberation Front in the late 1960s, confirmed "freedom fighters" from his group were part of the militia sent by a self-proclaimed sultan to claim the Malaysian state of Sabah.

"I cannot deny that some of them are known to be MNLF freedom fighters," Misuari told a news conference in Manila, although he insisted he was not personally involved.

"They went there without my knowledge. I have not ordered anyone to join them. It would be very irresponsible for anybody to implicate us."

Noy lawyering for Malaysia

MNLF legal counsel and spokesman Emmanuel Fontanilla said yesterday that President Aquino acted as lawyer for Malaysia when he declared that Sabah belongs to Malaysia.

Fontanilla said the President's statement jeopardized the possible action against Malaysia by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

"We regret the pronouncement of the President that the actions of Sultan Kiram are unlawful, thus negating our stand in the ICJ," he said.

He said any move to elevate the Sabah case to the United Nations will not prosper following Aquino's declaration.

He said the only option for the sultanate is to bring the case to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) through the MNLF, which has permanent observer status in the Islamic body.

'Sabah crisis should be resolved before UN'

Meanwhile, former Tawi Tawi governor Al Tillah yesterday said the Sabah conflict should be resolved before a world forum.

"The Sabah crisis is rooted historically in the just struggle of the sultanate through justice and the lofty ideals of the Muslim Filipinos. Any opinion to the contrary is null and void," said Tillah. "The resolution is between the Sulu sultanate and Malaysia before the United Nations."

Tillah added that what is happening in Sabah is not a rebellion by the sultan, but a defense of their historic rights over the territory.

He condemned President Aquino for his apparent reluctance to have the issue arbitrated before the international court.

He also assailed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for trading the peace process with the Philippine government in exchange for Sabah.

"What did President Aquino trade to gain this peace process with the MILF?" he asked.

Tillah also questioned Aquino for not including the MNLF and the sultanate of Sulu in the peace process.

"Is this the kind of peace the MILF signed for? Born out of treachery?" he asked.  –

by:Mayen Jaymalin, Christina Mendez, Evelyn Macairan, Jose Rodel Clapano

with report from , MSN, RFTBP & philSTAR