The Moro National Liberation Front is poised to boycott the tripartite conference if the Philippine government disallows MNLF chairman Nur Misuari to attend the meeting.
This was stated by spiritual adviser of Misuari and chairman of the Bangsa Moro People's Congress (BMPC) Ustadz Zain Jali in an interview with local reporters here on Thursday.
"We passed a resolution giving the MNLF chairman the sole authority to negotiate for the Moro people in the Tripartite Conference to be hosted by the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC)," Jali told reporters.
The government's passage of Organic Act 9056, which Jali claimed a violation of the September 2, 1996 Peace Agreement, is among the issues the MNLF will raise during the conference.
The forthcoming tripartite meeting, which was originally scheduled this February, hits snag after an MNLF faction led by Habier Malik detained for two days the delegation of Marine Major General Benjamin Dolorfino and Defense Undersecretary Ramon Santos in Panamao town on Jolo island.
The MNLF rebels had prevented Dolorfino and Santos from leaving after getting upset over information that the tripartite meeting to discuss the implementation of peace accord between the MNLF and the Philippine government had been cancelled.
But after getting assurance that the tripartite meeting will push through in March 17-18 in Jeddah, the group of Malik freed the two government officials along with their 18-member peace mission. Both the government and MNLF had refused to call the situation a hostage taking.
According to Jali, there was partial implementation of the provisions of the 1996 Peace Accord, but there are several violations of the peace pact such as the integration of MNLF combatants into the AFP, more representations of Muslims in government agencies and development programs for Muslims in Mindanao.
"All these provisions did not materialize and were not implemented," he claimed.
However, sources from Malacanan said that the Philippine government, which continues seeking an observer status seat in the OIC, has religiously implemented the GRP-MNLF peace accord of 1996.
The MNLF was recognized as the sole and legitimate representative to the OIC of the Bangsamoro people, the Muslim Filipinos in the southern Philippines.
As a permanent observer, the MNLF has the privilege to attend all OIC conferences, including the Islamic Summit Conference and the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers. (HG)
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