More Filipinos charged over Sabah intrusion—Malaysian media

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Raul Hernandez said in a statement Tuesday that the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur is set to inquire with the Malaysian authorities to get the identities of those charged. INQUIRER.NET FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—More Filipinos have been charged by the Malaysian government for allegedly being part of the intrusion in the disputed territory of Sabah by supporters of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, Malaysian media reported.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib was quoted in reports by Malaysia’s The Star Online that eight Filipinos will be brought to the Malaysian High Court for a hearing Tuesday on charges of terrorism.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Raul Hernandez said in a statement Tuesday that the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur was set to inquire with the Malaysian authorities to get the identities of those charged.

He said that they were also set to inquire about the personal conditions of the Filipinos as well as their legal representations.

“Once we obtain this info, our embassy team will go through the application procedure for consular jail visit,” Hernandez said

Philippine Embassy personnel in Malaysia have previously been granted consular access to the first eight Filipinos charged last March whose next hearing will be held on April 12.

The supporters of the Sultan of Sulu, led by Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram, sailed to Sabah last February 12 claiming that they are the rightful owners of Sabah.

Violence broke out after three weeks of tense negotiations failed and Malaysian authorities were forced to attack the Sulu “Royal army” who refused to leave the village where they encamped.