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MANILA, Philippines (5th UPDATE) – Violence erupted in Sabah after Malaysian authorities on Friday, March 1, fired at Filipinos claiming the territory in a tense two-week standoff, the Sultanate of Sulu said.
“Nagbabarilan na! Oo, nagbabarilan na!” said Rajah Mudah Kiram, brother of the self-proclaimed Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, in an interview aired on dzRH. (Gunshots have been fired! Yes, there have been gunshots!)
In a press conference Friday afternoon, Sulu Sultanate spokesman Abraham Idjirani said 10 people died and 4 got wounded in the incident.
The Malaysian government, for its part, denied firing the first shot in Sabah.
Citing Malaysian authorities, the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed the firing of gunshots in Sabah, and said it has left no casualties and has already stopped. DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez however could not confirm if there was an actual exchange of fire.
“We appeal to the Filipino people, the Tausugs, the (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) to back us up,” Kiram told dzRH.
RAJA MUDA KIRAM: Nagbabarilan na! Oo, nagbabarilan na! #Sabah
Raja Muda Kiram: Mayroon ng tinamaan sa amin, isang wounded #sabah
— DZRH News (@dzrhnews) March 1, 2013
DZRH EXCLUSIVE: Raja Muda Kiram: Tapos na ang salita, Tapos na ang salita! We will fight today.@dzrhnews
— DZRH News (@dzrhnews) March 1, 2013
The radio station, through its Twitter account, noted gunshots heard during the interview.
In a separate interview on ANC, Idjirani said the first shot came from the Malaysian police at around 6 am. He could not confirm injuries due to gunfire, describing initial reports as “sketchy.”
Idjirani, however, said they have “apprehensions” about seeking the Philippine government’s intercession to end the standoff, especially given the violence.
“Wala pa kaming naiisip na paraan kasi in the previous days, lagi hong sinasabi ng Malacanang na walang sisihan, huwag n’yo kaming sisihin, kung ano mang mangyari ngayon,” he said. (We have not yet thought of any means because in the previous days, Malacanang has said we should not blame them for whatever happens.)
Idjirani said the Malaysian police have withdrawn from the area.
‘Hard-headed’
Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, for his part, sounded agitated when he spoke about the reported exchange of gunshots.
Roxas said he has not received verified reports, but said in reference to the Kirams: “Eh matigas kasi ang ulo.” (Because they’re too hard-headed.)
He echoed the order that President Benigno Aquino III issued on Tuesday, February 26. (Watch Aquino’s statement below.)
“Malinaw na malinaw. With all due respect sa pamilya Kiram, malinaw ang sinasabi ng gobyerno: pauwiin na ang ating mga kababayaan doon,” Roxas said in an interview on dzMM. (It’s very, very clear. With all due respect to the Kiram family, the government has been very clear: tell our countrymen there to go back home.)
The heirs of the sultan of Sulu, led by Rajah Mudah Kiram and between 180 and 400 followers, sailed to Sabah on February 12 to pursue their claim on the resource-rich state, saying they felt left out of the peace talks between the government and the MILF. – Rappler.com
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