Duterte meets Misuari in Malacañang

President Rodrigo Duterte (center in barong) and MNLF Chair Nur Misuari pose with government officials in Malacañang on Monday night, Feb. 26, 2019. Malacañang Photo

MANILA, Philippines –  President Rodrigo Duterte met with Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chair Nur Misuari on Monday night, Malacañang said Monday.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the meeting between Duterte and Misuari lasted for 15 minutes.

Aside from the President, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año were present during the meeting.

The meeting of Duterte and Misuari came after the President revealed that there were “rumblings” in the MNLF following the naming of the 80-member Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), which was composed mostly that of its rival, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

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The meeting also came as Misuari is set to travel abroad to attend the 46th session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the meeting of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC) in Morocco.

Panelo said the court has allowed Misuari to travel abroad.

The MNLF leader is facing trial before the Sandiganbayan for two counts of graft and two counts of malversation through falsification of public documents over alleged anomalous purchase of educational materials when he was still governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).  /cbb/muf