A senior leader in Sulu belied reports that Malaysian authorities arrested 32 armed Filipinos entering Lahad Datu, Sabah to reinforce the Royal Sultanate Force (RSF) on Monday.
Malaysian state media Bernama, quoting the police commissioner in Sabah,
reported that Filipinos from Mindanao armed with firearms and machetes arrested
12 nautical miles from the east coast of Lahad Datu.
“Hindi totoo yan na may nahuli sila doon sa mga nag-reinforce sa Sabah,”
the Sulu-based source, who asked not to be named because he is currently
occupying a sensitive government position.
He described Bernama’s news report as plain propaganda being dished out by
Malaysian officials to make it appear that they are in total control of the
security situation on the ground.
Closely monitoring the development in Sabah, the source pointed out that
the current security situation in the area remains highly fragile as several
groups of heavily armed men from Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan have been able to
enter Sabah tgo reinforce the group of Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram.
“But a full-blown conflict in Sabah can still be reversed through peaceful
dialogues between the Malaysian government and the Sulu Sultanate. Kung walang
pag-uusap na mangyayari dyan, sasakit ang ulo ng Malaysian leadership dyan,” he
said.
The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) alswo said that not a single
member of the group that sailed to Sabah without prior clearance to their
leadership, has been arrested by Malaysian military and police
authorities.
MNLF political bureau chief, Haji Gapul Hajirul stressed that it is not in
the nature of Tausugs to just surrender. He said Tausugs would rather die
fighting than allow themselves to be arrrested.
“Walang report na ganyan dito sa amin,” Hajirul said referring to the
supposed arrest of their fighters, who have already sailed to Sabah to join the
fighting.
MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari himself has formed a 5,000-strong rescue force,
all of them under going retraining in Sulu prior to their deployment any time
this month to Sabah, to assist and defend ordinary Filipinos being maltreated by
Malaysian security forces.
The Sulu-based source, however, described Misuari’s posturing simply as a
publicity stunt. The official said that only a handful MNLF members remain loyal
to the chieftain.
“Wala na syang pwersa, papano niya gagawin 'yun? Gusto lang niyang
magpapansin siguro,” the source said.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.