Kiram’s people talk ‘disengagement’

MANILA: More than a week after violence broke out in Sabah between followers of the Sulu sultanate and Malaysian security forces, a brother of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III today met with Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II to discuss “disengagement”.

Roxas and Sultan Bantilan Esmail Kiram II, Jamalul III’s younger brother, met for almost two hours behind closed doors in Camp Crame.

Bantilan said his brother knew about the meeting with Roxas, which was meant to “find ways and means to resolve the Sabah problem”.

The Interaxyson online portal quotes Roxas as saying among the things they discussed was “disengagement” and about what would happen to the sultanate’s followers should they decide to lay down their arms.

Since hostilities first broke out on March 1, the sultanate’s followers, led by the crown prince, Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram III, have been under constant attack.

Malaysian authorities claimed to have killed 54 members of the group Kiram led to Sabah early last month while losing eight policemen.

“Among the things discussed was, for example, since the leader of Malaysia [Prime Minister Najib Razak] publicly said the surrender of arms is the only condition to end the fighting, so, one of their questions was the manner, the mechanisms [of the surrender]… that was an example of the questions they asked,” Roxas told reporters after the meeting.

But he declined to give further details of the talks saying he would meet with President Benigno Aquino III as soon as possible.

Late last week, after United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon urged all the parties in Sabah to end the fighting and negotiate, Jamalul III declared a unilateral ceasefire. This was, however, rejected by Malaysia, which insisted the only way to stop its assault would be for Agbimuddin and his group to surrender unconditionally.

Aside from discussing disengagement, Roxas said he also briefed the sultan’s brother of government’s efforts to ensure the safety of innocent Filipinos in Sabah.

“Talk is better than no talk,” Roxas said of their meeting.

He reiterated the government’s claim it has been continuously reaching out to the Kiram’s camp ever since the standoff started last month.

The sultanate has maintained that there have been no negotiations with government, saying the emissaries sent by Malacanang have presented nothing but “threats” and demands.

Roxas said he was open to act as the government’s emissary to the sultanate.
“I have said I am always open if they want to use me as a bridge. What is important is not who acts as the bridge but the message. The priority of the president is to ensure the safety of our countrymen,” he said.

- Agencies