Tawi-Tawi mayor, aides back in Phl

ZAMBOANGA CITY , Philippines   â€“ Languyan Mayor Rommel Matba and his party of supporters detained in Sabah by Malaysian authorities arrived in Taganak, Tawi-Tawi on Thursday, police said.

Tawi-Tawi provincial police director Senior Superintendent Joselito Salido said all 32 Filipinos led by Matba, vice mayoral candidate and cousin Amman Matba, police escort PO2 Hassan Bin Abdullah, 21 supporters of Liberal Party gubernatorial bet Norbert Sahali and the boat’s crewmembers were released by Malaysian police at 6:15 p.m Thursday in Lahad Datu.

The 32 were then escorted by the Malaysian navy and marine police to Taganak Island.

“They arrived in Taganak Island about 9 p.m Thursday night,” Salido said.

He said the Malaysian authorities also returned the service firearm of Abdullah, the lone police escort of the LP members.

“All of them are safe and are back to their usual political activity,” Salido added. 

The 32 were held for questioning by Malaysian authorities after their boat drifted near Lahad Datu in Sabah.

Matba and his group were headed for Taganak to campaign Tuesday night when their boat suffered a mechanical problem and drifted some 12 nautical miles off Tambisan point near Lahad Datu.

Malaysian police spotted them and brought them in for questioning on suspicions they were among the armed men supporting the fighters of Agbimuddin Kiram battling security forces in Lahad Datu. Malaysian Defense Minister Zahid Hamidi ordered the release of the Filipinos late Tuesday following an appeal from Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario. President Aquino ordered Del Rosario to secure the release of the LP entourage.  Del Rosario then rang up his Malaysian counterpart Anifah Aman to ask that the Filipinos be freed, convincing the Malaysians that they were not supporters of Kiram in Sabah. 

 Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARRM) Gov. Mujiv Hataman revealed the Philippine embassy in Malaysia even issued a certification that the 32 were not members of Kiram’s group in Sabah but were just campaigning for local elections on May 13. –With Jaime Laude