President Rodrigo Duterte met with Moro National Liberation Front founding chairman Nur Misuari in Davao City on Friday, and the two were planning to meet again, Senator Christopher Go said Monday.
That meeting marked their fourth meeting this year.
“They talked about maybe having follow-up meetings, but between bigger groups. Maybe the panel will talk on both sides,” Go said during the sidelines of the National Heroes Day rites in Taguig City.
Duterte’s peace adviser Carlito Galvez was present in the meeting as shown by the pictures Go shared with reporters.
Duterte and Misuari had previously met on Feb. 25, March 19, and July 10 this year in Malacañang.
Malacañang has yet to release the details of their recent meeting.
Galvez had previously said President Duterte was open to the possibility of creating a regional government for the areas under the influence of MNLF.
He said Sulu, Misuari’s turf, had been a challenge for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the majority of whose leaders were from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
The MILF is a breakaway faction of the MNLF led by Misuari.
The President earlier said he was planning to offer Misuari the same concession that the government gave to the MILF to achieve long-lasting peace in Mindanao, which has suffered from the decades-long insurgency.
Duterte has repeatedly said he hopes to reach an agreement with Misuari, whom he earlier said had warned him of war should the government fail to pursue a shift to federalism.
Misuari is a former governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the entity superseded by the Bangsamoro.