State of calamity over Tawi-Tawi likely—local official

The Sabah crisis may result to a state of calamity over Simunul, Tawi-Tawi, a local official said Monday.

 

Simunul mayor Nazif Ahmad Abdurahman said a state of calamity is possible following the evacuation of Filipinos from Sabah, according to a report of Ian Cruz at “News to Go.”

 

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) earlier said around 750 Filipinos fled Sabah since violence broke out between Sulu sultan Jamalul Kiram III's followers and Malaysian forces last March 1. 

 

Under a state of calamity, the local government could use the calamity fund for food and other basic needs of the evacuees, according to the report.

 

The DSWD would provide livelihood programs for the evacuees who lost their jobs in Sabah due to the conflict, according to Abdurahman.

 

The agriculture department in ARMM also said the evacuees should try farming and fishing in Tawi-Tawi as livelihood.

 

A ship of the Philippine Navy with DSWD medical personnel is now at Taganak (Turtle) Islands to assist at least 300 evacuees who will be brought to Bongao, according to the report.

 

However, the rural health unit in Tubig Indangan, Simunul is still under repair and may not accommodate the thousands of evacuees, municipal health officer Dr. Sarah Kashim said.

 

Meanwhile, prices of gasoline spiked to around P70 per liter from P60 last week due to the conflict, according to the report.

 

Malaysian authorities continued last Sunday their efforts to flush out Kiram's followers from villages in Sabah following a series of deadly clashes that began March 1.

 

While Kiram had offered a unilateral ceasefire last March 7, Malaysia had rejected it and demanded that Kiram's followers lay down their arms unconditionally.

 

Last February, Kiram sent around 300 followers to fight for a territorial stake on Sabah, a resource-rich part of the Borneo island, basing their claim on an ancient, historical agreement with the Brunei sultanate before the British colonization in Malaysia. —Marc Jayson Cayabyab/KG, GMA News