Pinoys in Sabah standoff won't board DFA ship — sultanate's spokesman

Members of the Royal Army of the Sultanate of Sulu, who are currently engaged in a standoff with Malaysian authorities in Sabah, will not board the ship sent by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to return them to the Philippines, the sultanate's spokesperson said Monday.

 

Abraham Iridjani, spokesman of the Royal Sultanate of Sulu, said the sultanate's followers in Sabah will not leave the place without direct orders from Sultan Jamalul Kiram III.

 

"Hindi sila aalis, with due apologies to the Malaysian government. Puwede lang ma-stop itong issue kung sila ay patay na dahil ang pinaglalaban dito ay hindi kapakanan ng pamilya lamang pero kapakanan ng sambayanang Pilipino," Iridjani said in an interview aired over GMA News TV's "Balita Pilipinas Ngayon."

 

He added that Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram, brother of Sultan Kiram and leader of the group in Sabah, insisted on not negotiating with anyone without the blessing of the Sulu sultan.

 

Around 180 of Sultan Kiram's followers, some of them allegedly armed as claimed by Malaysian authorities, have been in a standoff with Malaysian police in Sabah since early this month to assert their claim on what they call their ancestral territory.

 

The Islamic sultanate, which is based in Mindanao, once controlled parts of Borneo, including the site of the standoff. The sultanate's heirs have been receiving a nominal yearly compensation package from Malaysia under a long-standing agreement for possession of Sabah.

 

On Sunday, the DFA sent a ship on a "humanitarian mission" to Malaysia to fetch civilians and five women from Lahad Datu town in Sabah.    

The Malaysian government initially gave the Philippines until last Friday to withdraw the sultanate's followers from Sabah, but decided to extend the ultimatum for another 48 hours.

 

Ship near Malaysian border

 

DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez, meanwhile, said the ship sent by the agency to fetch the Filipinos in Sabah is already near the Malaysian border.

 

Hernandez said the sea vessel is already at the Sibutu Islands in Tawi-Tawi, located east of Sabah.

 

"The current plan is for that ship to be at the border. The Malaysian government will bring the Filipinos to Lahad Datu to our ship which will be anchored off the border," the DFA spokesman said.

 

He added that medical personnel and social workers are aboard the ship to assist the sultanate's followers who will choose to leave Sabah.

 

"The priority is the safety of the people. We don’t want them to get hurt or nurse any violence or any untoward incident," he said. 

 

Binay meets with Sultan Kiram

 

Vice President Jejomar Binay, for his part, confirmed that he met with Sultan Kiram during a private function on Sunday to listen to the sultanate's claim on Sabah.

 

"He [Kiram] explained to me their position and I listened to him. I then reiterated the position of the Philippine government and renewed my appeal for sobriety. I emphasized that the parties should exert all effort to arrive at a peaceful resolution," Binay said in a statement.

 

Neither Binay nor members of his staff revealed further details on the meeting with Kiram. — with Andreo Calonzo and Michaela del Callar/RSJ, GMA News