A lawmaker today urged President Aquino to continue the process of dialogues and seek international forums to protect the Filipinos who were victims of human rights violations in Sabah, Malaysia.
Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan (Party-list, Gabriela) said the Aquino government should do everything possible to convince Malaysia to respect Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III’s unilateral ceasefire and the UN appeal for an end to the bloodshed and ensure that the rights and welfare of Filipinos caught in the conflict are recognized.
“Protecting the lives of Filipinos should be first and foremost on President Aquino’s agenda. The Philippine government should do something, anything. Otherwise, it is giving Malaysia virtual consent to abuse and slaughter Filipinos in Sabah,” Ilagan said.
Meanwhile, the Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights or Karapatan, in a statement, deplored the reported wave of arbitrary arrests, detention, killings, and other forms of cruel and degrading treatment of Filipinos in Sabah, as Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak refused to stop military operations despite the call for a ceasefire by Sultan Kiram of Sulu.
“Whether they are civilians or supporters of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, the reported acts of the state security forces of the Malaysian government show its total disregard for life and other fundamental human rights. It is not just a matter of ‘grave concern,’ but an issue that should be dealt with decisively by the Aquino government,” said Cristina Palabay, Secretary General of Karapatan.
Reports said more than 60 Filipinos have been killed by Malaysian forces, while scores were said to have been rounded up in detention and hundreds forcibly evacuated, including women and children. Foreign correspondents report that Malaysia’s Security Offenses Special Measures Act is used as basis to detain and investigate people in areas mainly populated by Filipinos “for committing terrorist acts.”