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Malacanang condemns us! Posted: 11 Mar 2013 09:49 PM PDT The fact that Malacanang condemns us for 'Malaysian atrocity against the Filipinos' is an implication that the intrusion by Kiram's followers in Lahad Datu and the claims on Sabah are beginning to bear its weight on Manila administration. While some parties in the Philippines have been trying hard not to give unnecessary reaction that could jeopardise the strong diplomatic relation with Malaysia, the presidential palace falls into unfounded reports and lies created by irresponsible 'agents of destruction' - namely the media, Kiram himself, Pinoys who went home in fear of 'possible backlash' by Malaysians and the pressure which mounts on their leaders. President Aquino who was against the armed and illegal intrusion also falls into such a fray. Amid continuous assurance by Kuala Lumpur that the 'war' is only against the intruders, his administration is bound to take every single report furnished by his officers about the 'on-goings' in Sabah. The 'reporters' are non other the Pinoys, especially Muslims from southern Philippines who fled eastern Sabah to Tawi-Tawi, Palawan and Mindanao who were not affected by the armed forces operations in Lahad Datu but are descendents of Sulu and other tribes who are sympathisers of Kiram. Malacanang on Sunday condemned the reported abuses suffered by Filipinos at the hands of Malaysian police in the crackdown on followers of the sultan of Sulu in Sabah. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is verifying the report published by the Inquirer Sunday based on the accounts given by Filipinos fleeing violence sparked by the intrusion of the followers of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III into Sabah. One refugee, Amira Taradji, spoke of how Malaysian police conducting sweeps of villages in search of the sultan's followers rounded up Filipino men, made them run as fast as they could, and shot them. One of the men killed in Sandakan was Taradji's brother Jumadil. Even Filipinos with immigration papers were being rounded up and thrown into jails, Taradji said. Some who tried to avoid arrest by showing their papers were shot, she said. Seventy-nine people, including Tausug and Orang Suluk (people who originated from Sulu), were rounded up on Friday in police sweeps of villages to flush out supporters of Jamalul's attempt to retake Sabah from Malaysia. Thirty-three more, including four women, were arrested Sunday morning on suspicion of abetting the intruders, including providing them with security information. We can't stop them from spewing such lies back home but Manila could at least check the fact with Kuala Lumpur. Accusations that our police and army killed or rounded up all Pinoys, including kids and pregnant women are pure an effort to batter Malaysia's image internationally and add logic to Kiram's request for the US and United Nations to send their peacekeepers to Sabah. Malacanang too could have been discontented when Malaysia turned down Kiram's call for a ceasefire and start a new dialogue. However, our standpoint remains firm - for Kiram to drop his claims on Sabah and for his followers to lay down their arms and surrender peacefully. And yesterday, one of Kiram's younger brother called for 'Muslim to Muslim talks' between the Sulus and Malaysia. I guess Manila did not bother to look at the photos of brutality carried out by Kiram's followers, who are also Muslims. No Muslim would mutilate the 'already dead' by beheading and crushing the heads of those killed. Not even a single word by Malacanang and Kiram on this, one of the factor which incited anger and fury among most Malaysians. And the fact that it was the Sulus who frew first blood by killing two Malaysian policemen by tricking them with 'a white flag', was also against all norms of international war conventions. The Pinoys who fled Sabah represented not even 2 per cent of the 80,000 Filipinos in the state. None of them were harassed, intimidated or abused by the authorities or Malaysians. The 200 Pinoys sent home last Sunday were among 3,000 people of different nationalities who flouted the immigration law by overstaying and other crimes, a usual practice by Malaysia which hosts about 7 million foreigners, most of them illegal immigrants. Even the deportation was taken out of context by some Philippines media, accusing Malaysia of 'mass flushing out' of their countrymen. I believe Manila and Kuala Lumpur have to meet at a special round table to clear the air and correct the wrongs. As both neighbors are close friends and involved in various two-way programs, it is time to bring the leaders and their peoples back together.

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