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MALACAÑANG on Friday assailed Ustadz Javier Malik of
the Moro National Liberation Front for taking advantage of the
postponement of the tripartite conference between the Philippine
government, the MNLF and the Organization of Islamic Conference to
advance his cause.
Executive Secretary Eduardo
Ermita announced that the recent offensive launched by Malik’s
force in Sulu province does not have the approval of other MNLF
commanders including chairman Nur Misuari.
“We just had a meeting Tuesday
and we were told by those in contact with chairman Misuari that he
dislike and did not go along with the conduct of Javier Malik,”
Ermita said.
He recalled his conversation with
senior commander of the MNLF who is at peace with the government and
had spoken to him for about 30 minutes in his office said Malik is
alone in his combat against the Armed Forces in Mindanao.
Malik in the latter part of March
had launched mortar attack against the elements of the AFP in Jolo.
Also, he dismissed attempt by
Malik to pressure the government to schedule the stalled tripartite
meeting.
“It’s not for him [Malik] to
dictate whether the tripartite should happen or not because he does
not represent the interest of the entire MNLF,” he said.
Ermita noted that up to present
time Misuari is the only recognized leader of the MNLF who could
claim representation for the Moro people.
Misuari was the signatory to the
1996 GRP-MNLF Peace Agreement, as well as to the 1976 Tripoli
Agreement held in Tripoli, Libya, “so there’s no reason why our
tension should be diverted from having to deal with the real
representative of MNLF and not Javier Malik.”
He added that only the OIC
representatives or Indonesia who heads the Committee of the Six
could arrange the tripartite meeting not the MNLF nor the Philippine
government.
--Sam Mediavilla
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