MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 5, 2013) – Filipino Muslims working abroad have joined calls for the peaceful resolution of the conflict in North Borneo while expressing their sympathy to the members and followers of the Sultan of Sulu, according to Migrante-Middle East.
Fighting between Malaysian forces and followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram continues and casualties have reached more than two dozen from both sides.
John Leonard Monterona, Migrante’s regional coordinator, said Muslim members of their group conveyed to him their willingness to join OFWs organizations in Saudi Arabia and in the Middle East calling for peaceful resolution of the Sabah standoff.
“Expressing sympathy to fellow Muslims now engaged in Sabah standoff, our Muslim brothers and sisters working here in Saudi Arabia could well understand the root of the struggles of the people belonging to the Sultanate of Sulu,” Monterona told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
Jalil, 28, a native of Indanan town in Sulu province, said the claims of the Sultanate of Sulu over North Borneo has strong historical basis.
“Legitimate ang claim ng Sultan of Sulu at kaniyang mga nasasakupan, claim eto sa ancestral domain nila na iba ang nakikinabang. Sa tingin ko, handa talaga sila na magpakamatay para rito,” Jalil said.
An undocumented 34-year old OFW in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and a native of Basilan province, Nabil, said: “Hindi rin kasi sila at mga Moro binibigyan ng pansin at tulong ng gobyerno. Kaya sila gumawa ng ganung aksyon.”
Both Jalil and Nabil said they hope for a peaceful resolution to the Sabah standoff, saying: “Para di na madagdagan pa ang mamamatay sa magkabilang panig lalo na sa mga members at followers ng Sultan ng Sulu, dahil dehado talaga sila.”
Monterona said: “The seemingly obvious one-sided stance of the Aquino administration when the President himself issued statements in dealing this confrontation in favor of the Malaysian government complicates the issue. It only showed the Aquino government is incapable in dealing such delicate issue with its counterpart.”
He said even the lives and jobs of an estimated 800,000 Filipinos working in North Borneo and Malaysia are not at risk.
“We could only expect the worst to come when a more stringent internal security measures by the Malaysian government will be implemented that will target the so-called stateless Filipinos in Sabah and undocumented Filipinos in Malaysia. Crackdown of Filipinos in Sabah and Malaysia is almost predictable amid this on-going Sabah standoff,” Monterona said.
He said Manila is reluctant in extending assistance to Filipinos residing and working in North Borneo and Malaysia in previous crackdown by the Malaysia on immigrants and foreign workers. “What is condemnable is the gross disregard of the Aquino government to provide protection and defend Filipinos in Sabah, which the Sultan of Sulu is claiming back,” Monterona said.
In previous years, thousands of Filipinos were deported from Malaysia as a result of intensified crackdown of illegal and undocumented Filipinos. Just recently, Malaysia deported 289 Filipinos who were rounded up in North Borneo for various immigration violations.
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