THE Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) elected Muslimin Sema as its new chairman on Tuesday in a move aimed at strengthening the fragile peace in Mindanao.

Sema, mayor of Cotabao City, replaced Nur Misuari, who is under house arrest in Manila while facing the sedition case that was filed against him by the government.

The government lodged the charges against the former chairman and founder of the MNLF following his alleged order to his men to attack the Army brigade headquarters in Jolo, Sulu, in November 2001.

Sema, secretary-general of the MNLF, was elected by the Moro group following a marathon meeting of its central committee on Tuesday in Pagadian City.

“The central committee decided to declare the position of chairman as vacant because we want to remain united,” Sema said.

The new MNLF leader vowed to work for lasting peace in Mindanao by finding ways on how to end the rebellion in the region.

“We want peace, and the central committee wants to broker lasting peace,” he said.

With the easing out of Misuari as the leader of the MNLF, the government may expect armed skirmishes with his followers within the group.

Despite forging a peace agreement with the government, some of Misuari’s loyal followers have still carried out a small number of attacks against the government in the past.

Last month the National Police reported that it monitored plans by some Misuari followers in partnership with the Abu Sayyaf to stage attacks in Mindanao until he is freed.

The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao police commander, Chief Supt. Joel Goltiao, said the plans were hatched following a meeting between at least three of his loyal commanders and their men and all leaders of the Abu Sayyaf and their men in Sulu.

P1.1B ‘missing’ in government swine program

WHILE the crisis spawned by the $329-million national broadband network (NBN) scandal remains a threat to the survival of the Arroyo administration, another can of worms was opened that allegedly robbed marginalized farmers once more of at least P1.1 billion of public funds.

CIVIL-society and faith-based groups are considering Chief Justice Reynato Puno as a replacement for former President Corazon Aquino in their campaign to push for President Arroyo’s resignation.

LEADERS and representatives of various civil society, farmers, urban poor, labor and fishermen’s groups held the People’s Food Summit at the UP Diliman’s School of Labor and Industrial Relations (Solair) on Wednesday to tackle the issue of food security and come up with an alternative solution to the looming food crisis haunting the Philippines.

THE Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) elected Muslimin Sema as its new chairman on Tuesday in a move aimed at strengthening the fragile peace in Mindanao.

CHAIRMAN Jose Melo of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) hinted on Wednesday that poll automation in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) may not push through, as the commission is way behind its schedule to modernize the region’s August elections.

CHIEF Justice Reynato Puno has directed the Office of the Court Administrator to take action on the request of Steel Corp.  of the Philippines (SCP) to have its rehabilitation case transferred from Branch 2 of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Batangas City to any court in Metro Manila.

THE head of the antifraud and commercial crime division (AFCCD) of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on Wednesday warned businessmen to obey intellectual property laws or else the government would run after them and even seize their goods.

A LEGISLATOR urged President Arroyo on Wednesday to appoint a deputy Ombudsman in the Department of Agriculture (DA) who will serve as a tripwire against misdeeds as billions of pesos are heading the agency’s way.