Governor for the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Mujiv Hataman said that forces of the rebel Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) were deceived by the group’s founding chairman Nur Misuari into attacking Zamboanga City.
Gov. Hataman made his statements yesterday in Manila, several days after the Philippine government declared an official end to the fighting in Zamboanga, which left scores dead and 120,000 displaced, and the city in ruins.
“You’ll really see how they deceived those who went there and the propaganda of the Misuari camp. If you notice, a lot of those who surrendered didn’t think that that (the attack) will happen,” he said.
He said that MNLF forces in the city were told a peace caravan was to be held in the city, and that the United Nations (UN) was recognizing the Bangsamoro Republik declared by Misuari last August 12.
“They were told that whoever joined (the caravan) would be issued by the United Nations one firearm each and would be given ATM cards with which they could withdraw Php10,000 to Php15,000 a month,” he said.
Gov. Hataman said a man named Xavier Daniel was in the area a month before the attacks, and introduced himself as a UN representative sent by the secretary-general.
The UN has repeatedly denied sending a representative to the area.
Misuari’s right-hand-man and leader of the group in Zamboanga, Habier Malik, reportedly demanded to see a UN representative when the governor attempted to negotiate.
“He told me that only the United Nations could pacify this,” Gov. Hataman said.
Gov. Hataman supported the prosecution of Misuari.
Meanwhile, President Benigno Aquino III has assured that captured MNLF rebels will be moved far from Zamboanga.
“We will be moving the captured MNLF rebels to another detention facility to enhance the feeling of order and security in Zamboanga City,” he said.
He said his legal team is studying the possibility of offering a bounty leading to Misuari’s arrest, as charges have not yet been filed against him and an arrest warrant has not yet been issued.
He said the matter is being thoroughly explored to avoid law violations.
(with reports from The Manila Bulletin and The Philippine Inquirer)