Establishment of diplomatic office in Sabah urged

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Tuesday proposed the creation of a diplomatic office in Sabah to attend to Filipinos who would be affected by the fighting there between the Malaysian forces and the followers of the sultan of Sulu.
“A diplomatic outpost will allow the government to closely monitor the transit of Filipinos out of the territory while looking into the welfare of our countrymen still in Sabah,” Escudero said in a statement.

“Of immediate concern is the welfare of Filipinos who were born and raised in Sabah which is the bigger humanitarian issue that must be addressed through diplomatic channels,” he said.

It is about time, Escudero said, that the Aquino administration should address  the plight of Filipinos in Sabah, who are constrained to obtain a Philippine passport for fear that  they will be permanently sent home where they don’t have any means of livelihood.

The plight of the so-called “halaws” or Filipinos who are being deported from Sabah, the senator said, was also a “growing concern.”

He noted that over the weekend, some 289 Filipinos were reportedly deported from Sabah, most of them were women and children.

“The deported Filipinos will be uprooted from their source of livelihood in Sabah which the government should anticipate to prevent a humanitarian disaster as more of our countrymen are sent home,” he said.

While Malaysian authorities have been regularly sending undocumented Filipinos home, Escudero said, the repatriation of Filipinos is expected to speed up as fighting continues between the Malaysian forces and the group of sultan Jamalul Kiram III.