Malacañang slams Kiram daughter's 'malicious representations'

From GMA News (Mar 6): Malacañang slams Kiram daughter's 'malicious representations'

Malacañang on Wednesday called Princess Jacel Kiram’s actions “incendiary and irresponsible,” adding that the fake photo she circulated to the media calls into question the integrity of her branch of the Kiram family.

Jacel, the daughter of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, on Monday fed the media a photograph of dead soldiers, which she claimed were Malaysian casualties in an encounter with her father’s followers who remain holed up in Lahad Datu, Sabah.

After being alerted by readers, GMA News Online has verified that the image is fake, and most probably of dead Thai soldiers killed in Thailand in 2007. The image has previously appeared elsewhere on the Internet.

“Ms. Jacel Kiram's use of a photo which she claimed were of Malaysian casualties has led to the discovery by media that the photograph was not of Malaysian casualties in the Sabah standoff but of Thai military casualties in a 2007 incident that had nothing to do whatsoever with the standoff in Sabah,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a statement.

Lacierda implied that the deception has further clouded the credibility of the family.

“Ms. Kiram's attempted deception goes beyond grandstanding and strays into the realm of incendiary, irresponsible action. It has called into question the credibility of Jamalul Kiram III’s branch of the family and their deadly misadventure,” he said.

“We must all now wonder: what other assertions made by the Kiram party are false?” Lacierda added.

In his statement, Laceirda also cautioned Jacel that “loose talk can cost lives.”

“We ask all to bear in mind that talk is cheap, but loose talk can cost lives. This misrepresentation of a photograph for publicity's sake is a double desecration: of those now bearing the brunt of the rash actions of Jamalul Kiram III, and of those military casualties whose service to their country has become fodder for public relations,” Lacierda said.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/298004/news/nation/malacanang-slams-kiram-daughter-s-malicious-representations