Malacañang sends emissary to Misuari

DAVAO CITY — Malacañang has sent an emissary to Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Nur Misuari to discuss matters regarding the Aug. 14 plebiscite on the expanded coverage of the autonomous set-up.

"A Malacañang official arrived from abroad and he was ‘pirated’ from the airport and was immediately sent by the President to see me," Misuari told reporters at the Royal Mandaya Hotel here the other day.

Misuari, however, refused to identify the Malacañang emissary.

But sources close to Misuari revealed that the governor met with a certain Nick Santos, who is reportedly into the construction business and a liaison of First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo.

Santos is the nephew of PNOC Coal Corp. chairman and former Interior and Local Government Secretary Luis Santos, who was also around when Nick Santos met with Misuari and Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan.

But when asked about the meeting, the younger Santos merely said that what he discussed with Misuari was strictly confidential.

He did not deny nor confirm that he was, indeed, sent by President Arroyo to meet with the ARMM governor.

Misuari still stood pat on his position that the plebiscite should be held not earlier than August 2003, as the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) recommended in a recent summit in South Africa.

He said the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) would reject the results of the coming plebiscite.

"We are going to defend the (OIC summit’s) decision that there should be no plebiscite that would be held without the concurrence of the MNLF since the one scheduled on Aug. 14 is a unilateral decision of the government, violating the provisions of the September 1996 peace agreement," Misuari said.

Justice Secretary Hernani Perez, however, said it is almost impossible that the Aug. 14 plebiscite could still be reset.

"It is too close already and I don’t think Congress can still act on it at this time," Perez said.

Misuari said he has made consultations with various sectors in Mindanao, including several congressmen, who, he said, support his position that the plebiscite should be deferred.

"But still I leave it to the congressmen to act on the matter immediately. I could not foresee what is going to happen if the plebiscite would push through," he said.

At present, the ARMM covers the provinces of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao and Lanao del Norte.

In the plebiscite, the proposed expanded autonomous set-up will be submitted for the approval of residents of 15 provinces and 14 cities in the South.

Misuari warned that should the government push through with the plebiscite, the MNLF will be forced to raise the matter not only to the OIC but also to the United Nations.

"A copy of the Tripoli Agreement has been submitted to the UN. And so if the government will proceed with the plebiscite, we will bring this matter to the UN’s attention," he said.