THE Philippine Navy has sealed off the so-called southern backdoor, to prevent the followers of the sultan of Sulu province from traveling to Sabah, where a standoff between the sultanate’s followers and Malaysian security authorities persists.
The naval blockade was one of the measures taken by the Philippine government to prevent the escalation of the already tense situation, meant to ease the tension in and around Lahad Datu, where hundreds of Filipinos were holed up.
Lt. Commander Gregory Gerald Favic, Navy spokesman, on Thursday, said that six ships and an islander plane have been patrolling the Sulu Sea after Malaysian authorities reported the presence of loyal supporters of the sultanate. The group is headed by Raja Muda Azzimudie Kiram, a brother of Sultan Jamalul Kiram 3rd of Sulu.
Favic said that the Navy patrol team is keeping a close watch on the vicinity of the provinces of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan, home provinces of Kiram’s mostly Tausog warriors.
The naval patrol, he said, is for “security and stability of the situation.”
“We are avoiding the escalation of the issue,” the Navy spokesman added.
Favic clarified that the Navy’s patrol and reconnaissance mission on the vast Sulu Sea was not requested by Malaysia. He added though that the Philippine Navy is ready to conduct joint maritime patrol operations with the Malaysian Navy within the disputed area.
The Sulu Sea is a large body of water in the southwestern part of the country.
Favic said that no one has been arrested trying to cross the southern backdoor going to Sabah so far.
Heirs of the sultan of Sulu said that their followers will stay put in Sabah, which they claim as theirs. The Filipinos are staying in the village of Tanduao, surrounded by Malaysian forces.
Negotiations
Emissaries of the Philippine government continue to negotiate with the leaders of hundreds of members of the sultanate of Sulu, who rejected Malaysian demands to return to the Philippines.
Government sources said that there is a plan to fly a Philippine Air Force C-130 transport plane to Sabah, or a naval boat to fetch Azzimudie’s group and bring them back home.
But whether such plans will be carried out “depends on the situation on the ground,” a source, who is privy to the negotiations with the sultanate leaders said.
Two weeks into the standoff, Malaysian officials are now calling for a drastic action against the sultanate’s followers.
Sabah’s Daily Express quoted Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein as saying that there will be no compromise on the rights and safety of its people in resolving the intrusion of the Filipinos, some of them armed.
“Since they had guns, it is important our action does not lead to bloodshed,” he said.
Malaysian security forces have surrounded the village, where the sultanate members are seeking refuge.
“The issue is not political, not racial, no connection with the stand on sovereignty but in our context this is our land and this is something that can jeopardize the nation’s security. This is why we are trying to handle wisely without bloodshed or loss of lives in our land,” he said.
He said that Malaysia is working closely with the Philippines to resolve the standoff.
Threat
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng criticized Hishammuddin and said that he would have acted proactively if his place was attacked in a similar manner.
“If there was a group of 100 heavily armed men, I would have sought help from the federal government to send the police and army to get rid of the militants, or take severe action on them. They should be taken out because they threatened, challenged and disturbed the safety of the people and sovereignty of the country,” he said.
“I am shocked that despite their refusal to leave, no action has been taken and that Hishammuddin has said that they are neither militants nor terrorists. How can he say that? They had grenade launchers and machine guns.”
Hishammuddin insisted that the sultanate members were not terrorists, although they are armed. He said that the group made several demands including recognition of the Royal sultanate of Sulu army, and for the Tausug community that has been in Sabah for a long time to remain there. Tausug refers to native inhabitants of Sulu in the southern Philippines, where the seat of the sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo is situated.
Arrests
Malaysian authorities arrested and detained seven people, three of them journalists, who attempted to enter the village, where the Filipinos were staying.
One of those arrested was Jamela Aisha Alindogan of Al Jazeera, a Filipino. Her companions, Steve Chao and cameraman Mark Giddens were detained for seven hours.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines denounced the arrest.
“While we take cognizance of the diplomatic and security concerns raised by the standoff, it bothers us that journalists going about their legitimate work should be held and questioned for so long. Whatever the implications the standoff may hold, we firmly believe that these can never be an excuse for any attempt to stifle the delivery of accurate and timely information, especially to the people of the Philippines and Malaysia who have a direct stake in what is going on,’ the media group said.
The other persons arrested were members of the Sabah Progressive Party. They were released after several hours except for a boatman, whose papers were reportedly not in order.
Sabah police chief Datuk Hamza Taib confirmed the arrests, saying that the three journalists and the youths tried to enter Tanduo by land but failed.
Police have cordoned off the area in the vicinity of Tanduo since Tuesday.
Peaceful resolution
Meanwhile, President Benigno Aquino 3rd called for a peaceful resolution to the Sabah standoff, saying that the use of force the way to deal with the problem.
“We have been dealing with this. We have been talking to parties concerned, including the family of the sultan to ensure a peaceful resolution,” the President said.
The President also acknowledged the good relationship of the Philippines and Malaysia, having helped the country in forging a peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
“They [the Malaysians] have been very, very friendly to us. And they have been very, very supportive to us,” he told reporters.
Aquino said that the government has been studying the Sabah issue and has compiled available data to study the sultanate’s claim on Sabah.
“I am not an expert. I have tasked the experts to study all of this and to find out precisely all of our standings. Where do we stand? And from where we stand where do we move forward?” he said.
The President’s aunt, former gov. Margarita “Tingting” Cojuangco of Tarlac province, also on Thursday, expressed readiness to go to Sabah to talk with Kiram.
She said that she has the trust of Kiram and his supporters.
Cojuangco said that Kiram’s action was an expression of disappointment because his group was not consulted, when the government forged a peace deal with the MILF.
“It’s a sign of despair that nobody listens to them,” she added.
http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/headlines-mt/42016-ph-navy-blocks-sulu-sea
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