Members of the women’s group Gabriela mounted a blitz rally near the gates of Malacañang on Thursday. They accused President Benigno Aquino 3rd of mishandling the Sabah situation. They were prevented from marching closer to the Palace by the Philippine National Police and the Presidential Security Group. PHOTO BY RENE DILAN
Sulu sultan Jamalul Kiram 3rd and his conspirators should face charges in the Philippines before talking about extradition to Malaysia, President Benigno Aquino 3rd said on Thursday.
In an interview, the President said that the government is still investigating the possible charges that the sultan and his conspirators may face.
He said that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is studying what the government is “empowered to do.”
“All of these steps, all of these issues are being studied by the DOJ currently. ‘Yung what are we empowered to do by our laws and by various treaties and agreements that we have entered into over the years,” he said.
“From my perspective, let them face the issues. Let our citizens, here in the country face the charges that we will be proffering first, then we will talk about and—talk about parang other developments after they have satisfied the requirements of our laws,” he added.
Kiram, whose followers launched a deadly incursion into Malaysia almost a month ago, called for a ceasefire on Thursday as troops continued to hunt for his elusive fighters.
The call came after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged a peaceful resolution of a bizarre incursion that has led to at least 28 reported deaths and escalated into Malaysia’s biggest security crisis in years.
It also coincided with a sudden visit to the stricken corner of Borneo island by Malaysian premier Najib Razak, whose government tried for three weeks to persuade the invaders to leave but launched a military assault on Tuesday after they refused.
Kiram, declared a unilateral ceasefire for 12:30 p.m. and urged Malaysia to reciprocate, according to a statement read out by his spokesman in Manila.
“They will not take any action. They will remain in the place where they are now. They will not expand operations,” the spokesman said, referring to the militants, believed to number between 100 and 300, in Sabah.
The spokesman, Abraham Idjirani, said that Kiram was responding to Ban’s appeal on Wednesday for a cessation of hostilities in the Malaysian state of Sabah.
Mutual legal assistance treaty
While there is no extradition treaty with Malaysia, President Aquino said that there is a mutual legal assistance treaty in force under the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
“We don’t have an extradition treaty with Malaysia. There is an Asean Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty that is already enforced,” he said
On one hand, the President does not see the need to convene the National Security Council, as proposed by former president Fidel Ramos, saying that he has been dealing with the Sabah situation along with the cabinet’s security cluster.
Ramos, he said, may instead send his inputs to him through a memo if he so wishes.
“We have been in touch with the security cluster of the Cabinet from the start of this meeting. If they have inputs that they want to share, former president Ramos in particular, I’m sure he can send it to me through a memo [and] we will consider,” he added.
Meanwhile, the President reiterated that the government is working to prevent the situation from escalating further.
“What is the government doing to prevent? There are at least 10 Philippine Navy and Coast Guard vessels manning a blockade to prevent, anybody from adding to the troubles that are happening right now in Sabah,” the President said, noting that the Department of Social Welfare and Development is already in contact or has been in contact with the families of those suspected to be there to attend to their needs.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) in particular, he said, is securing everybody so that there are no collateral incidents that might happen.
The Justice department, meanwhile, the President said, is also at the forefront or examining and investigating.
“The NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] and the PNP are investigating who are possible people who are involved in this incident and the degree of their involvement,” he said.
“We are trying to cover any and all contingencies. The secretary of the [Department of the] Interior and Local Government is dialoguing now with various Muslim groups. He is presently in Basilan and to explain what the government has been doing, what the aims of the government are,” he added.
By : CATHERINE S. VALENTE REPORTER
Source : The Manila Times.net
