| PIRATES' DEN COULD BE
LOCATED, SAYS MISUARI
KUALA LUMPUR, April 24
(Bernama) -- The hideouts of the armed pirates who took 20 people hostage on Sipadan
Island off Sabah Sunday night could be located if the gunmen are positively identified as
southern Filipinos, a senior Philippine official said Monday.
Regional Governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Nur Misuari said:
" If they are from the islands in the southern provinces such as Tawi-Tawi, I am sure
the authorities would be able to do something fast to ensure the safe return of the
hostages," Misuari said in a telephone interview with Bernama from Manila today.
However, Misuari who is also the Chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)
said it was vital that the identity and the origin of the pirates be ascertained first
before the authorities could make any move.
"As for myself, I admit that I have yet to be fully briefed on the Sipadan incident,
either by the ARMM or the federal authorities, although I have heard of some
"commotion" down south in the Sulu Sea," Misuari said, He also admitted
that since the matter was being handled by Manila, the ARMM or the MNLF authorities could
not be directly involved in the search and rescue efforts, although most of the southern
island provinces are within his jurisdiction.
According to Misuari, since the Philippine authorities were already on top of the case, it
was not proper for his regional administration to "come into the picture as
yet", for it might overlap whatever planning that had already been undertaken.
However, he promised that he would use whatever means to hunt down the pirates if required
to do so by President Joseph Estrada in his capacity as his as the governor of the
southern regions and supreme commander of the MNLF combatants.
"I am following closely the development of the incident and continue to gather more
information about it. I will immediately deploy my people to converge to the south if I am
entrusted by the President to assist our Malaysian counterparts to solve this problem as
fast as possible," Misuari said.
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