'Moro special council no harm to security'

'Moro special council no harm to security'

MANILA (AFP): The creation of a special council led by Moslem
insurgents will not compromise the Philippines' national
security, defense secretary Renato De Villa said yesterday.

Speaking at a forum in the southern Philippines, transcripts
of which were released here, De Villa said "the government will
not make any concession nor enter into any compromise that puts
our national security or the security of your communities at
risk."

He was referring to the agreement reached with the Moslem
insurgent Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) for the
establishment of a special council, to be led by the MNLF, which
would coordinate development projects in 14 provinces and nine
cities in the southern Philippines.

The council would pave the way for the creation of a Moslem
autonomous region in the area which the Philippines' Moslem
minority considers their ancestral homeland.

However the Christian majority in the area has opposed the
council, fearing it would put them under MNLF control.

De Villa also said all communities in the area would be under
the protection of the military and that their capabilities in the
region would not be diminished.

He also said the decision of MNLF chairman Nur Misuari to take
part in forthcoming elections for an existing Moslem autonomous
region, showed the MNLF's willingness to be governed by the
Philippine constitution.

Misuari, who has led the MNLF in nearly 30 years of guerrilla
war against the central government in Manila, formally filed his
certificate of candidacy for the governorship of the Autonomous
Region of Moslem Mindanao (ARMM) in elections scheduled on
September 9.

He was also proclaimed as the official candidate of the ruling
coalition of Philippine President Fidel Ramos.

The ARMM, which is made up of four provinces, is also included
under the area to be governed by the proposed council.

Despite earlier speculation that Misuari would run unopposed,
it was reported yesterday that three local opposition politicians
had also filed their candidacies to run against Misuari.

The MNLF meanwhile announced yesterday that it was also
fielding candidates for the 11 seats of the ARMM council.

Meanwhile, Ramos's chief aide, Executive Secretary Ruben
Torres yesterday assured officials in the southern city of Davao
that Misuari would not be allowed his usual retinue of heavily-
armed bodyguards when he campaigns for the gubernatorial seat of
the ARMM.

Torres said Misuari would be provided with police bodyguards
and could even select policemen whom he trusts to take the posts.

The government has banned the carrying of firearms in public
during election periods but Misuari is known to travel with as
many as a hundred heavily-armed MNLF guards.

Torres and De Villa have both been addressing local residents
and officials as part of a government campaign to convince more
people to accept the council to be headed by Misuari.