The violence in Sulu the past weeks, which was punctuated by the series of bombings in three key cities on Feb. 14, indicate that the objectives of the 1996 peace agreement are far from achieved.
By Carlos H. Conde
MANILA – Nearly a decade ago, the Philippine government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the first Moro separatist group, signed a …

By Carlos H. Conde
More than any other Moro leader, Salamat Hashim reawakened the Islamic consciousness of the Moro people. He made them proud of their identity. He gave them a vision.

By Carlos H. Conde
In 1976, Nur Misuari capitulated to the national government when he signed the Tripoli Agreement that severely constricted the Moro National Liberation Front’s position. This capitulation was sealed in 1996 when Misuari signed the Final Peace Agreement (FPA) with the Ramos administration. As the events the past weeks have shown, Misuari is now convinced what a mistake his capitulation had been. It is tragic enough that it took him 25 years to realize that; doubly tragic is the fact that his former trusted comrades pushed this capitulation a step further by conniving with the government against Misuari, apparently convinced with (or deluded by) the belief that Misuari is the reason why Muslim Mindanao is in perpetual unrest.

By Carlos H. Conde
“Because they (the government) have never unlearned their treacherous tendencies. We thought when they betrayed us during the time of Marcos that that was enough. Then they repeated it during the time of Aquino. Again and again and again. And I tell you this is probably the worst betrayal, under the regime of Arroyo.”

By CARLOS H. CONDE
Even his eyes betrayed him. They looked weary, as though they had not had a wink for days. If you looked into them, you would get the sense that this man had gone through hell. Betrayed is probably the right word, and that is exactly what Nur Misuari has been feeling nowadays.

By CARLOS H. CONDE
ZAMBOANGA CITY – A bitter and indignant Nur Misuari finally ended three weeks of silence and a self-imposed seclusion in his hometown in Jolo by accusing the government of betraying the 1996 Final Peace Agreement signed exactly five years ago yesterday.
He also accused a Cabinet member, Presidential Adviser on Special Concerns Norberto Gonzales, of manipulating President Arroyo …

By CARLOS H. CONDE
Nur Misuari, the 61-year-old founder of the Moro National Liberation Front, retreated to his hometown in Jolo after he was sacked by President Arroyo as chairman of the Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development (SPCPD). That firing came on the heels of the insurrection by a group of MNLF officials called the Council of 15, which …

By Carlos H. Conde

DAVAO CITY–Somewhere in Jolo, Nur Misuari is reportedly sulking. For good reason.
Last week, Malacanang stripped him of the chairmanship of the Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development, the de facto governing body over the 14 cities and 15 provinces that comprise the Special Zone of Peace and Development (Szopad), itself a de facto political unit.
Immediately after …