MISUARI BLASTS AQUINO

By: ABIGAIL KWOK

MANILA : An incensed Moro National Liberation Front founder Nur Misuari lashed at President Benigno Aquino III for “siding with the enemy of his people” and warned that any attempt to arrest Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III would lead to 'total chaos.'

At the same time, Misuari warned Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak that any harm to Filipino civilians in Sabah as a result of the hostilities between Malaysian security forces and followers of Kiram pressing their claim to the territory would be "tantamount to declaration of war against our people and the MNLF."

Nevertheless he offered a grand nephew he said is a distant relative of the Malaysian leader or himself to act as emissary to Najib.

"If there is a signal from KL of the willingness to talk to my emissary and in fact if need be, for the sake of peace and to save the lives of our young people ... if there is a need for me to visit KL, to possibly iron out differences between two nations, I am willing to go at my own expense," Misuari said.

Of Aquino, Misuari said: "If the President has nothing to say, he should not open his mouth anymore."

"What he has done is very bad. It is unbecoming for a head of state to be siding with the enemy of his own people,” he said. “I don’t know who is advising him and for what reason … he is aligning this country with Malaysia, a colonial power occupying the land of our people. I am against that. Totally against that."

"With all my soul, I hope the President will be properly advised and he will recant (his statements against the sultan) otherwise we cannot forgive him," Misuari added.

Aquino has come under fire from several quarters for his statements on the unfolding situation in Sabah, calling the sultanate’s cause “hopeless” and “foolhardy” and urging Kiram to order his followers home and, after the initial violence last Friday, to surrender without conditions.

He has also ordered Kiram investigated for possible violations of the Constitution and the Revised Penal Code.

“There is an attempt even to arrest the sultan, I understand,” Misuari said. “Let them do that. The country will be in total chaos if they do, I tell you.”  (InterAksyon.com)