President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said Nur Misuari, former governor of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) who is now detained in Malaysia, will be brought back to Manila on January 15.

"I think the time (for his deportation) is on January 15. After that, he will be placed in a detention centre," said Arroyo who is in northern Luzon's Baguio City where she and her family will stay until New Year.

Misuari will be detained while undergoing trial for rebellion (in Mindanao), said Arroyo.

This policy, she added, would not change unless a court, based on a doctor's certification, ruled that a sick Misuari should be confined in a hospital, as in the case of former president Joseph Estrada and his son Jinggoy who are facing plunder charges.

When asked why she changed her policy on Misuari, Arroyo said: "It's quite a shame to allow Malaysia to carry the burden for the Philippine government. The Malaysian citizens might tell Prime Minister Mohamad Mahathir, 'Why are you handling the problem of the Philippine government?' We should face this problem squarely."

Misuari was arrested on the Malaysian frontier island of Sempiras off Sabah on November 24. At that time, Arroyo said she wanted Misuari to remain in Malaysia, but Mahathir said the Philippine government should eventually take him back because the MNLF leader could not be detained beyond one month.

The Malaysian authorities cleared Misuari of his alleged links with the Abu Sayyaf Group, which had kidnapped 13 Malaysians in Indanan and Sipadan islands last year.

While in Malaysia, lawyer Elly Pamatong has been seeking political asylum for Misuari in the U.S., Europe, and member countries of the OIC such as Malaysia, Libya, or Saudi Arabia.