Ex-broadcaster denies role in Sabah 'conspiracy'

A former broadcast journalist on Thursday appeared before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and denied taking part in an alleged conspiracy that led to the violence in Sabah between followers of a Sulu sultan and Malaysian forces. Walid Kalil "Waldy" Carbonel, who was subpoenaed by the NBI, denied accusations that Sultan Jamalul Kiram III and his family had conspired with several personalities to destabilize the Aquino government. "They [The NBI officials] were asking me if I have knowledge on conspiracy. I don't think there is any conspiracy," Carbonel said. Carbonel said he learned of the Sabah incursion only in the news on February 14, days after Kiram's brother, Agbimmudin Kiram, and some 200 of the sultanate's armed followers went to Sabah. Despite his denial, however, he said conspiracy to reclaim Sabah, if ever it exists, should be considered a “patriotic duty.” "Conspiration [sic] to reclaim Sabah is a patriotic duty... In fact, I'm waiting for any invitation to conspire," Carbonel said. Kiram's followers, who have been engaged in sporadic clashes with Malaysian authorities since March 1, went to Sabah last month supposedly to reclaim it. Sabah, located in the island of Borneo close to southwestern Mindanao, is territorially disputed by the Philippines and Malaysia. A Philippine claim for sovereignty over it has lain dormant for decades, but Malaysia continues to pay a yearly rent to the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu, who claim to be the descendants of the original Filipino sultan who had control over the territory for centuries. President Benigno Aquino III had asked for an investigation on the incursion, believing that Kiram was part of an effort to sabotage the ongoing peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Carbonel, interviewed after facing the NBI, said it was Malacañang which is "conspiring" to muddle the issue. "Yes, there is a conspiracy on the Sabah claim, [but that is] between Malacañang, Malaysia and the MILF," he said. Carbonel also denied that Nur Misuari, founder of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and a supporter of Kiram's cause, played a role in the incursion. Misuari himself said he was too busy to join any conspiracy. "Marami akong hinaharap dito sa Mindanao. Anniversary ng MNLF, 45 years na," he said in a separate interview. But the former MNLF leader said he had reservations about the government's investigation into the Sabah crisis. “Bakit nag-create pa ng ganyang [investigation]?” he said. “Sana inimbestigahan na lang discreetly. Baka mag-create 'yan ng tension sa Mindanao... Kailangan i-justify nila ang investigation. Sinabi na wala silang ebidensya. Bakit kailangan pa sila gumawa ng ganyan," Misuari said. He appealed to the government to focus on helping the Filipino civilians fleeing Sabah and seeking refuge in Mindanao provinces, rather than engaging in "witch-hunting," which he said might just "anger" the people from the region. — KBK, GMA News