SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao, 3 November — Alarm bells are expected to ring again in Manila when the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) sends its delegation to a two-day 5th National People’s Consultative Assembly in Jolo, Sulu, starting today.

The reason is that the assembly is being organized by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) faction of ARMM Gov. Nur Misuari.

News reports had earlier said that Misuari faction had been working out an alliance and raring to revive his call for independence.

Ghazali Jaafar, MILF vice chairman for political affairs, said in a radio interview yesterday that Misuari had earlier asked MILF chairman Salamat Hashim to send representatives to the assembly.

Jaafar, however, clarified that the MILF presence in the assembly has no bearing on the issues to be taken up by the assembly. He said the MILF’s primary concern is on to the welfare and interest of the Bangsamoro people.

The MILF maintains a "hands off" policy on other issues and concerns considered "internal" to the MNLF, he emphasized.

He was apparently referring to the latest power struggle that had split the already depleted MILF ranks in two.

Last April, ranking MNLF officials formed a Council of 15 and announced that Misuari was no longer the chairman of the group.

Among those who kicked him out were MNLF secretary-general Muslimin Sema, now the mayor of Cotabato City; Parouk Hussin, who is now running for the ARMM governorship; and Yusuf Jikiri, former military commander of the Front.

The MILF itself broke away from the MNLF in 1978 when Misuari downgraded the group’s demand for independence to just an autonomous setup in Muslim Mindanao.

Today’s assembly is expected to discuss and take a tough position on the status of the peace agreement signed in 1996 between the MNLF and the national government.

Misuari had been accusing the government of reneging on its commitments.

Recent reports say that his faction had signed up an alliance with the MILF for the main purpose of pursuing the cause of independence. It is expected that all these issues will be taken up with corresponding resolution.