Senators want inquiry on Sabah, lasting solution to sultan’s claim

Senators on Saturday called on the executive branch to ensure the safety of the more than 800,000 Filipinos residing in Sabah after Malaysian authorities decided to attack the armed Filipinos claiming the territory in the name of the sultanate of Sulu based in southern Philippines.

Sen. Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on foreign relations, also said the Philippine government should start addressing the issue of the sultanate’s claim over Sabah instead of letting the matter fester among stakeholders.

“The incident is symptomatic of an issue that has remained unresolved. It is important that the Philippines and Malaysia discuss the issues and work toward a durable and lasting solution to the problem,” Legarda said of the clash that left 14 dead in Sabah on Friday.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) needs to bring this issue from the back burner into the negotiating table,” she added.

Sen. Chiz Escudero, chair of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, wants an inquiry on reports that some 100 Filipinos residing in Sabah have been arrested following the clash between Malaysian forces and armed followers of the Sultan of Sulu, Jamalul Kiram III.

Safe passage

“My concern since the standoff began was for our countrymen residing in Sabah. If the reports of arrests are true, then this is the bigger tragedy that demands an immediate resolution,” Escudero said.

Legarda said the Philippine government should seek for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

She called on the Malaysian government to allow Philippine officials to help Filipinos affected in the situation.

“We call on the government of Malaysia to ensure the safe passage back to the Philippines of Filipinos who want to return following the standoff in Sabah,” Legarda said in a statement.

“The Philippine Embassy should be given access to Filipinos involved in the standoff and those requiring medical attention should be provided without fear of retribution or arrest,” she added.

Escudero said there are more than 800,000 Filipinos in Sabah, “most of whom are reportedly subjected to frequent exploitation by Malaysian authorities since they are not Malaysian citizens.”

Stateless Filipinos

Escudero earlier urged the DFA to immediately set up a representative office in Sabah to document the stateless Filipinos to resolve their status and make available to them basic government services.

“The welfare of our countrymen who consider Sabah as their homeland should now be the focus of the government’s negotiations with Kuala Lumpur,” Escudero said.

“It opens the door for our government to look into the welfare of 800,000 Filipinos in Sabah who are not recognized by Malaysia but who still choose not to acquire a Philippine passport because of their fear that they will be sent home from Sabah,” he added.

Legarda said the DFA should ensure that collateral damage among Filipinos in Sabah is minimized.

Aurora Rep. Sonny Angara, a senatorial candidate in the administration ticket like reelectionists Escudero and Legarda, asked for respect and support for whatever decision President Aquino will make on Friday’s Sabah clash.

Trust Aquino

“Let’s put our trust in the President when dealing with sensitive issues of national security and foreign relations because he is the only decision-maker at the end of the day,” Angara said.

“Events are still unfolding as we speak. It is clear that the President has the national interest in mind with every decision he takes,” he added.

Angara lamented the Sabah attack and condoled with the families of those who were killed.

He warned that some candidates in the May 13 elections might use the incident to discredit the President, the government and the administration-backed senatorial candidates.

“During elections where one stand on issues may be dictated by where one sits on the political fence, it’s always good to have a long-term perspective, keeping in mind that the Sabah question dates back many decades and will not be resolved overnight or even during these political intramurals leading up to the May elections,” Angara said.

At the same time, the head of the Greenhills Muslim Traders Association urged his Muslim brothers to go back to the Philippines and resort to other “peaceful” means in laying their claim on Sabah.

Sought for comment, lawyer Nassif Malawani on Saturday said that while he sympathized with the Kiram family and their followers, he disagreed with the way they aired their grievances, citing the “many lives” that have been claimed since the standoff began 16 days ago.

The Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC) urged Aquino to assure the sultanate that the state would “honor the claim over Sabah” and send help to supporters of Kiram involved in the bloody firefight that erupted in Lahad Datu district on Friday.

“The AHRC expresses its deep concern on what transpired in Lahad Datu, Sabah, which escalated into violence resulting in the death of a number of our Muslim countrymen/women. The AHRC likewise expresses its disappointment on the government’s treatment of the problem,” said the center. With reports from Tarra Quismundo and Kristine Felisse Mangunay