Sultan Muedzul-Lail T. Kiram
The reigning Sultan of Sulu and North Borneo has condemned the series of kidnappings in the southern Philippine of Sulu and urged the public to stay vigilant and also warned them against the spread of false and unfounded accusations against local authorities and provincial leaders.
“As the reigning Sultan of Sulu and North Borneo, I am condemning this act of crime to the highest degree and I am calling my constituents to be vigilant for only these kidnappers will benefit from false and unfounded accusations,” Sultan Muedzul-Lail T. Kiram said.
He said some sectors in the province are pointing to the local government, the military and the police being behind the kidnappings. “This is a baseless accusation for I am in constant touch with these authorities concerning the peace and order of the province. I would like to appeal to the people to refrain from issuing such baseless statements,” Sultan Kiram said.
“They are doing their best to solve this problem or perhaps eradicate it. One thing we know for sure the kidnappers are the one feeding you these false information and to capitalize on the situation,” he added.
Sultan Kiram also branded the spate of kidnappings in the Muslim province as “un-Islamic in any perspective.”
He said even ordinary citizens were kidnapped and ransomed off for a small amount of cash. And because of the kidnappings, some citizens were reportedly arming themselves into a vigilante group, but Sultan Kiram said this move could further complicate matters in Sulu.
“Some concerned citizens are now trying to arm themselves and form a vigilante group (and it’s like an eye for an eye, a) tooth for a tooth. There is nothing wrong with the vigilantes, but what is wrong is when they will put the law into their hands and the more it will complicate the matters,” he said.
No to kidnappings
Locals have condemned and others protested the spate of kidnappings in Sulu and some also launched online campaign in social media to denounce the kidnappings in the province.
But while local government officials and multi-sectoral groups work hand in hand to address the rising criminality and the threats posed by the Abu Sayyaf and other lawless elements, some people with political agenda have resorted in spreading false reports of kidnappings and killings and other black propaganda in social media, including Facebook, to further scare the public and destroy the reputation of different leaders in Sulu.
Sulu police chief Abraham Orbita also confirmed the spread of black propaganda, but said this will not affect law enforcement operations in Sulu.
“There are a sudden and massive disinformation campaign and a lot of false reports being spread by unscrupulous people,” he said.
Orbita said they will continue to protect the citizens from lawless groups and urged locals to support the campaign by helping authorities in providing information about suspicious persons in their community.
Various sectors and civil society organizations have thrown their support to the efforts of the provincial government and local authorities to address to the peace and order situation in Sulu. One resident of Sulu has use Facebook to appeal to fellow Tausug for cooperation and unity.
In her emotional appeal, she said: “The distressing events that have unfolded over the past few days are intolerable. Sulu is our home. The Tausug people are our brothers and sisters. We are a family and family members are supposed to take care of each other. From one private citizen who is deprived of my freedom to enjoy the beauty of my province because of negative elements that are threatening my sense of security, I plead to my fellow Tausugs to galvanize in unity to thwart the wrong doers.”
“Let us be vigilant. Let us look after one another. Let us help the local government, in our own little way, with their efforts to bring back the peace that some are trying to steal away from us. Let us not be selfish and think only of ourselves. Let us refuse to live in fear. Let us fight for our right to have a good life. If we work hand in hand, barbarity can never dominate us. Again, Sulu is our home. Let us protect and defend it with our very own life. This province belongs to the majority and not to the very few whose only aim is to wreak havoc. The majority wants peace and that is what should prevail. No amount of bullet can surpass the power of prayers. So tonight let us pray for everyone's safety. As cliché as it may sound but this too shall pass,” she said.
Appeals
Authorities have also appealed to the public to cooperate and be vigilant in their day to day activities. “Please report to authorities any suspicious persons or activities in your community. Your cooperation in crime prevention is very important,” the Sulu Area Coordination Center said.
“The relentless barrage of evil acts by lawless and dubious elements against peace-loving communities of Sulu can never cow the Tausug residents and their authorities to stoop down to mimic their ill-fated ways. Some call for oppressive interventions, in clear endorsement to imitate their preferred style, as a mean for reprisal against those criminals. But Sulu's leadership and its network of allies for peace and development will never ever deviate from the rule of law and respect for human rights that is the better option.”
“The nemeses are the culprits, not the authorities, no matter deficiencies may have been committed by those in the front line. Help them to be stronger and more effective, not help lawless to strike them down. All are in agreement that more solid actions must be taken, though the current leadership has never been remiss in the collective resolve to combat lawlessness,” the coordinating body said.
The Sulu Area Coordination Center - built during the time of then Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan - is where various agencies converge to address issues, resolve conflicts and find the best solution to current problems besetting the province. It is headed by local government officials and the military and police as members.
It was is a facility established as a proactive, reactive, and post conflict mechanism to address various concerns at regional and local levels of governance and to solve problems of coordination and response.
The Sulu Area Coordinating Center also functions both as a system and as a council for planning, integrating, directing, supervising, and implementing line-up government programs and projects particularly on political, socioeconomic, cultural, religious, development, security and information issues.
The province has a total of 20 Area Coordinating Centers – one for each of Sulu’s 19 towns and the central headquarters in Patikul town.
http://mindanaoexaminer.blogspot.com/2014/03/sultan-of-sulu-and-north-borneo.html
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