Aquino says Sabah standoff incident has led to 'propaganda war'

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 6): Aquino says Sabah standoff incident has led to 'propaganda war'

President Benigno Aquino III Wednesday said the standoff by the armed followers of the Sultanate of Sulu and his continued insistence for his Royal Army to remain there despite numerous appeals by the Philippine government to come back has led to a "propaganda war."

"Sa ngayon, nagkakaroon tayo ng propaganda war. Kayo po testigo, nagmakailang ulit na po akong nakikiusap na kung pupuwede lumikas doon, bumalik na muna dito at pag-usapan natin ang problema niyo, sa ulit, mapayapa at mahinahon na pamamaraan," the President said in his speech during the meeting with local leaders and the community in General Santos City.

"Yung Malaysia po at ang Pilipinas, ang relasyon nila nagkaroon ng maraming kulay dahil dito sa isyu ng Sabah. Huwag ho nating kalimutan, ang sinusulong nila (Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III) ‘yung karapatan nila bilang heirs raw po ng Sultan of Sulu. Hindi pa ganoon kaliwanag na ‘yung karapatan nila ibinahagi na sa Pilipinas. Pero sa away nila, idadamay tayong lahat," he noted.

"Bilang ama ng ating bansa, obligasyon ko ‘yung kapakanan, kung hindi ng lahat, ay ‘yung talagang napakarami," he stressed.

President Aquino said it was wrong move of the Sulu Sultan to bring armed men to Sabah, endangering the lives of the estimated 800,000 Filipinos in Sabah. He reiterated that sending armed men to Sabah is not the key to press the Sulu sultanate's claim, saying the matter should be discussed in a peaceful manner.

"Kung meron silang (Kiram) problema doon sa kasunduan, at kung tayo naman po ay may interes, dapat ho siguro pag-usapan nang mahinahon. Kung mali ‘yung pinagkasunduan noon, iwasto natin," he said. "Maski ano pong komunidad, maski saang lupalop ng mundo, papasok ang armadong grupo, hindi ho yata nagiging susi ’yon para sa mapayapa at mahinahong pag-uusap," he stressed.

"Ako’y umaapela sa inyo, dapat ho maliwanag na maliwanag dito. Itong pangyayaring ito mali. Kung mali bakit natin susuportahan? Dapat suportahan po natin ‘yung tama. ‘Yung tama ho magdadala sa atin sa maaliwalas na kondisyon; ‘yung mali dadalhin tayo sa kapahamakan," he added.

With regards to the propriety rights issue of the Sulu Sultanate on Sabah, the President said he already tasked the Department of Justice, Dept. of Foreign Affairs, and the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office to study the validity of the country's claim over Sabah.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=504323