Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang on Sunday decried the reported brutality suffered by Filipinos at the hands of Malaysian authorities cracking down on supporters of the Sultan Jamalul Kiram III in Sabah.
“This kind of treatment of our Filipino citizens or Filipino nationals is unacceptable which is why the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) will be contacting their Malaysian counterparts to speak about these particular reports,’’ Abigail Valte, deputy presidential
spokesperson, said over government-run dzRB.
Countless Filipinos had fled Lahad Datu (where Agbimuddin and his men had been holed up for three weeks now), Semporna, Tawau and Kunak in Sabah for Sulu amid increasing violence, bearing stories of Malaysian police brutality.
Amira Taradji recounted that Malaysian police ordered Filipino men to run and then fired at them. Her brother was among those killed. Quoting stories of other returnees, she said arrested men were shot dead after showing their passports.