Philippine president let Moro leader leave country

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he intervened to allow Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chief to leave the country, according to media reports on Wednesday.

Nur Misuair left the archipelago, despite facing different charges, to attend the session of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Abu Dhabi, UAE earlier this week.

In a speech on Tuesday in Bangued, capital of the northern Abra province, daily Manila Bulletin reported, Duterte said: “He came to see me to ask me to intercede in his behalf that he be given temporary pass to go out because he has a case and he would be jailed here, so he can attend the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

“So I told the military and the police 'Let him leave, he will return. He is not a fugitive, he is a revolutionary'.

“And you know what? That guy will always come back. It would be an insult to his person if he is buried in another land."

The Moro leader was accused of malversation of public fund during the purchase of educational materials worth $14 million when he was governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in 2001 and 2002.

He left the country on Feb. 26 and is expected to return by March 20.

The Moro are an ethnic Muslim minority who live in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.

A historic referendum was held early this year to grant the Moro Muslims autonomy. A prime minister was appointed for the autonomous region in late February.