Nur Misuari trailing in race for governor

JOLO (AFP) - Muslim rebel leader Nur Misuari, who is in jail awaiting trial, looks certain to lose the race for governor in his home province with most of the votes counted, election officials said Saturday.
With almost 80 percent of ballots from the May 14 elections counted, Misuari, leader of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), is trailing in third place with only 19,121 votes, according to the results released.
Former governor Abdusakur Tan is leading with 86,434 votes, followed by incumbent governor Benjamin Loong with 53,096 votes.
Misuari, who is being held in jail for leading a failed rebellion against the government in 2001, was allowed to run for governor of his southern home province of Sulu.
He was even allowed to leave detention to fly to Jolo and campaign and cast his vote before being flown back to detention outside Manila.
The MNLF under Misuari signed a peace pact with Manila in 1996, ending years of bloody violence in the southern region.
Under the deal Misuari became governor of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. But he was later thrown out amid allegations of massive corruption in the regional government.