Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza maintained that help from Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader Nur Misuari in the release of Abu Sayyaf hostages is "independent" of the cases pending against him.

Dureza told ANC's Headstart Tuesday that there is a case pending against Misuari in relation to the Zamboanga Siege in 2013, and only the courts can "make that judicial determination."

"The case is pending before the courts and it is only before the courts that make that judicial determination, but even before this handover to me by the hostages, there were efforts already by his lawyers that they will address this particular issue about the pending warrant," he said.

"What he is doing to help us now is really independent and apart from the judicial determination on the merits of his case," he said.

Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad, who was held captive by the bandit group for a year, and three Indonesian men were released over the weekend, and the military on Sunday confirmed the assistance of the MNLF.

• READ: Norwegian, Indonesians savor first day of freedom in PH

Dureza recalled, Misuari "helped very decisively" in the release and Sekkingstad even stayed at his camp overnight, but they encountered problems with the turnover that was supposed to be at the Jolo Airport because of Misuari's "legal status."

"Biniro ko nga siya, sabi ko, 'Chairman Nur, there is still a legal problem, so pwede bang ako na lang aakyat dyan sa kampo mo?’ so I went inside his camp," he said.

One of the first questions raised to him after retrieving Sekkingstad, said Dureza, was why he did not arrest fugitive Misuari when he is an official of the government.

"Sabi ko, my god, how can I arrest him he has a thousand people there, armed, in the area?," he said.

He added, President Rodrigo Duterte has been consistent that "Chairman Nur is an important component of the overall peace process, so we should also deal with him accordingly."

• READ: Duterte: Don't arrest Misuari

With twelve or so hostages still held captive by the Abu Sayyaf, Dureza said he requested to Misuari if he and his group could also work on the remaining hostages' release.

He said he has no knowledge on what sort of deal Misuari's people have penned with the bandit group, but the government will not negotiate with the Abu Sayyaf.

"We continue to deal with them with the full force of the law. They are terrorists and they commit [crimes], they behead people. They’re not even Islamic," he said.

Misuari is currently in hiding after a court issued an arrest warrant for him in connection with the bloody Zamboanga City siege in 2013.

In late August, Duterte ordered against arresting Misuari, as this would scuttle his efforts to reach a peaceful settlement with the Moro groups in Mindanao.

''Ako man ang hepe ng pulis at military. Sabihin ko, huwag niyong galawin,'' Duterte had said.

• READ: Misuari wants meeting with Duterte in Malaysia