AFP official denies alleged Kiram kill plot

MANILA, Philippines - A military official on Wednesday denied that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has information on the alleged assassination plot of Malaysia against Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III and members of the sultanate.

"We don't have any intelligence reports regarding that matter, maybe it's just rumors," AFP vice chief-of-staff Lt. Gen Alan Luga said.

Sultanate spokesman Abraham Idjirani told reporters on Tuesday that a certain Sunny Ng, whom he said is a Malaysian colonel, has arrived in the Philippines along with four commandos to carry out an assassination plot against members of the Kiram family and their supporters.

Idjirani also alleged that Ng's group has also hired three members of the New People's Army fro Quezon province to help them carry out the assassination.

He said the plot was revealed Monday by a former lawyer of Pastor Saycon, the sultanate’s political adviser, who was also one of the alleged targets of assassination.

The sultanate spokesman said that the lawyer is currently working for Kenneth Lee, a Malaysian businessman based in the country, and a business partner of Ng.

Idjirani said the lawyer was with Lee when the businessman met Ng’s group at Genting Palace, a restaurant at the Resorts World in Pasay City around noon Monday.

The Malaysian group allegedly checked in at the Maxim's Hotel at Resorts World.

In a radio interview on Wednesday, Saycon claimed that the Intelligence Service of the AFP has also checked the report and has found out that Ng's group has already checked out of the hotel.