33 LP men on their way home after brief detention in Sabah

April 11, 2013 2:11pm


The 33 Liberal Party (LP) members who were briefly detained in Sabah after authorities there thought they were part of the group sent to reinforce the embattled followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III are already on their way home, Malacañang said Thursday.

“My understanding is that they have been processed and are on their way back to their home province,” Presidential Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang said at a briefing. “So I think that should be the end of it. There’s really nothing more than that.”

Carandang said the LP members will not be charged since the incident was the result of a sailing mistake. “I don’t believe that there will be [charges.] It seems there just have been a case of a mistake, so I don’t think there will be anymore to it than that,” he said.

The group, which included a mayoralty candidate as well as some supporters, were sailing toward Taganak (Turtle) Islands for a campaign sortie on Monday when strong winds and current brought their vessel to the Malaysian-controlled Sabah, located south of Mindanao.

Sabah is the site of recent skirmishes between Kiram's followers and Malaysian security forces. The encounters occurred after a 17-day standoff that started in early February when Kiram sent some 200 armed followers to press their historical claim over the resourch-rich territory.

Carandang said the 33 will be back on Philippine soil by Friday.

“They wandered into that territory; they’ve been processed and they’ll be back siguro by today or tomorrow,” he said, adding the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has done a tremendous job in convincing Malaysian authorities that the 33 were not affiliated with Kiram. — Patricia Denise Chiu/KBK, GMA News