PN beefs up patrol off Sulu Sea in wake of Sabah stand-off

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 21): PN beefs up patrol off Sulu Sea in wake of Sabah stand-off

The Philippine Navy (PN) on Thursday announced that it has beefed up its patrol operations off the Sulu Sea in wake of the ongoing stand-off between Filipino Muslims followers of Sultan Jamalul Kiram and Malaysian forces in Sabah.

"The PN thru Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) in Zamboanga City has been supporting the efforts of Western Mindanao Command in ensuring that security will be enforced and that issues will be resolved peacefully," PN spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic said.

Under NFWM, Naval Task Force 62 is now ready to conduct maritime patrol operations with Malaysian authorities. Six PN ships along with one Islander aircraft are now on stand-by for duty which aims to stabilize and secure the situation.

"As an archipelagic state, the PN plays a crucial role in maritime operation such as defense, interdiction, patrolling and law enforcement. Guarding more than 36,000 kilometers of vast territorial waters, the PN intensify its naval operation in the country's backdoor - Sulu Sea," Fabic stressed.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Gen. Emmanuel T. Bautista earlier said that the military will conduct more patrols in common maritime borders with Malaysia to prevent breakaway factions of Muslim rebel group from entering and creating civil unrest in Sabah.

Bautista issued this statement in wake of the tense stand-off between Malaysian authorities and 200 Filipino Muslims who illegally entered Lahad Datu, Eastern Sabah last week claiming the land as theirs as part of the former sultanate of Sulu.

Malaysian authorities have contained the incident and placed these individuals in a secure location after defusing the situation peacefully. "The chief of the Malaysian defense forces, Gen. Tan Sri Dato' Sri Hj Zulkifli Hj Zainal Abidin, has requested us to patrol our borders as they will patrol their side to prevent illegal entrants so that the situation in (Sabah) will not get further complicated," he said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier said the activities of this Filipino group was “not sanctioned” by the Philippines government.

DFA Secretary Alberto Del Rosario sought the assurance of the Malaysian authorities to ensure that the rights of those Filipinos, who the DFA claimed are “permanent residents in Sabah and who may be among the group,” are respected. “In this regard, we therefore urge these concerned individuals to return to their homes and families,” he added.

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