NO COMMENT. The main camp of the MILF in Maguindanao. Photo by Karlos Manlupig

TAWI-TAWI, Philippines - The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Friday, March 8, maintained its “no comment policy” on the Sabah situation even as the Malaysian government continues its military offensive against the armed followers of the Sultanate of Sulu.

Malaysia rejected on Thursday, March 7 the appeal of the self-styled sultan to declare a ceasefire, saying his armed followers in Sabah have to first surrender.

Malaysian police said at least 60 were killed from the firefights, including 52 Filipinos and 8 Malaysian security forces.

The MILF Executive Committee held an emergency meeting on Wednesday, March 6, to “discuss the current Sabah stand-off and to examine what possible new policy statement it can adopt in the light of this development.”

“After several hours of deliberation, the core leadership of the MILF had reaffirmed its 'no comment policy' but calls for the immediate peaceful resolution of the problem,” the MILF said. 


Malaysia is facilitating the talks between the government and MILF. They recently inked the Framework on the Bangsamoro territory, considered a big breakthrough in the talks.

The government peace panel declared that the peace deal would be finalized next month, April.

At least one member of the central governing body of the MILF told Rappler they're confident that the Sabah conflict would not affect the peace negotiations. “The issue of Sabah is not part of the negotiation and we cannot discuss something which is not part of the agenda,” he said.

The armed followers of Jamalul Kiram III said that among the reasons for their decision to sail to Sabah and revive the Sabah claim is their exclusion from the current peace process between the government and the MILF.

The Kirams, who come from Sulu, are associatedly largely with the MILF's rival organization, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). It was Indonesia that brokered the peace agreement between the Ramos government and the MNLF. - Rappler.com