Nothing wrong with PRRD asking court nod for Misuari travel plea

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Moro National Liberation Front Founding Chairman Nur Misuari exchange pleasantries during their meeting at the Malacañan Palace on February 25, 2019. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — Two senators do not see anything wrong with President Rodrigo Duterte asking the court to allow Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chairman Nur Misuari to travel abroad.

Senator Richard Gordon said seeking court permission to leave the country is part of the legal process for one facing criminal charges.

Gordon also said there is nothing irregular with Duterte himself calling on authorities to allow Misuari to go abroad since the case is before the regular courts, and the fiscal is under the Justice Secretary, who in turn is under the President.

“What is important is for the Court to get a guarantee that Misuari will come back to face the charges,” Gordon said.

The Sandiganbayan Third Division recently granted Misuari’s motion to travel after the conditional arraignment on the cases of graft and malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents in connection with the alleged anomalous procurement of textbooks when he was still governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Misuari left the country to attend the 46th session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the 14th Session of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC) in Morocco. He is expected to return to the Philippines not later than March 20.

Meanwhile, Senator Gregorio Honasan II also defended Duterte’s move, saying that it is covered by presidential prerogative and discretion “as long as it helps achieve national objectives of unity, lasting peace, and economic development.”

Duterte has guaranteed that Misuari would return home to discuss the new deal the government is crafting in order to attain lasting peace in Mindanao.