Sulu sultan seeks Duterte help for detained nephew

ZAMBOANGA CITY—The 35th Sultan of Sulu has urged President Rodrigo  Duterte to work for the release of his nephew, who was recently sentenced to life imprisonment by a Malaysian court along with eight other Filipinos who ventured into Sabah to reclaim it from Malaysia in 2013.

Abraham Idjirani, the sultanate’s spokesperson, said Sultan Phugdalun Kiram  II had maintained that Datu Amir Bahar Kiram was innocent of the charges that he  was involved in the February 2013 “intrusion” in Lahad Datu in Sabah.

Amir Bahar “is innocent of the crime charged against him,” Idjirani quoted  the sultan as saying.

Amir Bahar was the son of the late Sultan Esmail Kiram II, Phugdalun’s  predecessor.

Idjirani said contrary to the charges, the 53-year-old Amir Bahar had  worked to end the conflict brought about by the invasion of Lahad Datu by  gunmen identified with the sultanate.

“(Amir Bahar) resides in Semporna and he was requested by his father and  the Malaysian authorities to negotiate for the end of the violence there.  We were all surprised that after the standoff, Amir Bahar was arrested,”  Idjirani said.

Idjirani said he was now trying to reach out to Duterte  “for his kind assistance through the Department of Foreign Affairs.” Julie Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao