Misuari helping recover Indonesian hostages from Abu Sayyaf –Dureza

Moro National Liberation Front founding chairman Nur Misuari is now "marshalling his forces" to help recover the seven Indonesian sailors abducted by the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu Sea last month, presidential peace adviser Jesus Dureza said Thursday.

"Let me disclose to you that last night, Misuari sent word to me that he is already marshalling his forces there in order to try and work out the release of 7 or 10 Indonesians that are being held [by the Abu Sayyaf]," Dureza said during a forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.

He said Misuari asked him to relay the message to President Rodrigo Duterte and to coordinate with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to avoid possible misencounters.

"Sabi nila they are going to do efforts and we should tell the President that they are doing efforts now to try and recover the Indonesians," Dureza said.

"And we have to establish close coordination with the Armed Forces in order to avoid misencounters as they do their voluntary work of trying to save the Indonesians from the hands of the Abu Sayyaf," he added.

Dureza also said he has no idea how Misuari will rescue the Indonesians, who were taken hostage in June in the Sulu Sea area, a major sea traffic lane.

"Hindi ko alam, sabi nila they are going to do efforts. Alam mo naman ang MNLF, ang Indonesian ang kanilang facilitator in the negotiations. Remember when they got their peace agreement? So maganda ang goodwill between Indonesia and the MNLF," he said.

Dureza, meanwhile, said he has no update on the Norwegian tourist still being held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf.

"Wala kaming communication. They cut it off especially nung nag-intensify yung operations. We lost contact already, yung  mga channels ko dun na tumutulong wala na din," he said.

The Norwegian, Kjartan Sekkingstad, was the only one alive among the three foreigners taken from a marina in the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte late last year. The two others, both Canadians, were beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf after their ransom demand was not met.

Their Filipina companion, meanwhile, was freed by their captors. —KBK, GMA News