Moro National Liberation Front founder Nur Misuari has weighed in on the national elections, revealing his choices for president and vice president.
Misuari, who is considered a fugitive after being charged for the Zamboanga City siege in 2013, told US-based Vice News in an exclusive interview that he wants Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to win as president and Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as vice president.
The interview, released last May 6, showed the ageing rebel leader in a remote MNLF camp in Jolo, Sulu.
Surrounded by around 50 MNLF fighters, Misuari told the female reporter that he is supporting Duterte.
“I am only concerned for the moment with the peace here, in our homeland,” he explained.
READ: Misuari: Duterte best bet for peace
“I want Duterte. If you don’t like Duterte put Dureza,” he said, referring to former presidential peace adviser Jesus Dureza.
Asked why, the former University of the Philippines professor said, “Because they are Mindanaoans. They know the problem and the biggest problem of this country is peace.”
Duterte, the frontrunner in the electoral surveys, is expected to get majority of votes in Mindanao.
Son of his number one enemy
Misuari earlier declared his support for Duterte. But what was new was his choice for vice president — the son of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos.
“Who’s your VP?” the reporter asked. “Bongbong Marcos,” Misuari immediately answered.
The reporter, surprised at the answer, asked the MNLF founder why he would support the son of the former president who allegedly ordered the Jabidah massacre, an event that supposedly sparked the Moro revolt.
“He was my number one enemy. His father,” Misuari admitted. However, he explained that, “The fault of the father cannot be inherited by the son.”
He did not elaborate but merely said “No” when Marcos’ ties to the Jabidah massacre was mentioned. “I am a Muslim,” he further said.
Classmate Binay
Misuari also talked about other presidential candidates. He revealed that Vice President Jejomar Binay was his former classmate in UP College of Law.
“I know him (Binay). He’s’ a nice person. The only problem is there are so many tsismis (rumors) about his administration,” said Misuari, who ended up dropping from law school and pursuing a master’s degree also in UP.
He said he used to consider Binay a “legitimate president” before all the controversies about him were revealed.
As for Senator Grace Poe, Misuari said he cannot trust someone “whose identity is not even known.”
“I’m not stupid to trust the future of this nation, including our people, to a lady whose identity is not even known and who’s married to a foreigner whose sons are like this,” he said, without elaborating.
“I am not stupid. I am not a madman,” Misuari said. CDG