Sultanate spokesman: Aquino admin harassing us

The spokesman for the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo on Thursday accused the Aquino administration of politically harassing them to keep them from further raising the Sabah claim issue.

“This is already political harassment. They just want to keep us silent from speaking,” Abraham Idjirani, spokesman of the Sultanate told the Star.

Idjirani said Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, head of the Sultanate, members of his family and his followers are also willing to be summoned by the Department of Justice which is now conducting a probe of the ongoing standoff in Kampung Tanduo in the town of Lahad Datu in Sabah between armed members of the Sultanate’s Royal Army led by the Sultan’s brother, Raja Muda (Crown Prince) Agbimmudin Kiram.

On Tuesday, President Benigno Aquino III called on Sultan Jamalul Kiram III to end the standoff and have the 235 men return to the Philippines. The call was rejected by the Sultanate. 

“Wala tayong magagawa (We cannot do anything) kung ipapatawag tayo ng DOJ. There is no justice,” Idjirani said.

Idjirani said that at present, the Sultanate does not even have a legal team to defend itself.

Idjirani scored the government for apparently siding with Malaysia over the Sabah claim and added that government should begin looking for a jail facility big enough to house all of the Sultan’s relatives and followers should it make good on its threat to have them arrested.

“Ihanda na nila ang malaking kulungan,” said Idjirani adding that the Sultan has a total of 97 relatives including children and grandchildren.

Meanwhile, Idjirani clarified reports that Malaysian troops have entered Kampung Tanduo in Lahad Datu where the Sultanate’s Royal Army is holed up for almost three weeks now.

Idjirani  said that as of 1:30 pm on Thursday, there were no sightings of Malaysian forces in Kampung Tanduo.

“Walang pumapasok pero sabi ni Raja Muda, may mga pumasok malapit sa kanila,” said Idjirani.

Idjirani also said that if there would be someone who the government should send to jail, it should be the one in Malacañang who was responsible for losing the Sultan’s letter to the president.

In his statement last Tuesday on the Sabah standoff, Aquino admitted having made recently aware of a letter addressed to him by Sultan Kiram III that was sent through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) during the first week of his term..

The president however said that although the Sultan’s letter was “lost in the bureaucratic maze” there was no intention to ignore the letter.

“Why should be sent to jail when we only want to return home? Kung may dapat ipakulong, dapat yung nagwala nung sulat,” said Idjirani.

Idjirani also welcomed the support being offered to the Sultanate by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) led by its chairman, Nur Misuari. 

Idjirani said the MNLF statement of support gives strength to the Sultanate but it needs to be studied further by the Sultan and his council.

Idjirani also said that they are no longer afraid of what the Aquino government intends to do with them as they have long been exposed to war and conflict in Mindanao since 1972.