A matter of national honour or what is left of it: SND Gazmin must deny or admit his Malaysian counterpart claim PH Navy killed 35 Filipinos going to Sabah

A MATTER OF NATIONAL HONOUR OR WHAT IS LEFT OF IT

LATEST ON 35 DEAD: THE STORY IS BECOMING MORE SORDID EVERY MINUTE DESPITE PH NAVY DENIAL - WHAT IS PH GOVT DOING TO SHUT UP MALAYSIANS?

April, 29, 2013 - 6:32 pm: Sabah police back Malaysia defence minister Zahid Hamidi’s claim that Philippine Navy shot dead 35 alleged "intruders" going to Sabah (implying that PH Navy killed the Filipinos as a service to Malaysia Govt.)

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah police chief Hamza Taib has insisted that Malaysian intelligence reports have confirmed that 35 alleged intruders had been shot dead by the Philippine navy before they landed on Sabah soil.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah police chief Hamza Taib has insisted that Malaysian intelligence reports have confirmed that 35 alleged intruders had been shot dead by the Philippine navy before they landed on Sabah soil. 

Link to news article: Sabah police backs Zahid Hamidi claim that PH Navy killed 35 Filipinos going to Sabah

So, where are we today on the 35 or 10 dead/killed by Malaysian Navy and dumped in Philippine waters if we are to believe the Sulu Sultanate spokesman?

Earlier on, the news that 35 Sulu fighters had been killed by the Philippine Navy was denied by the Sultanate. Upon closer investigation, and thanks to the efforts of Admin Marlene Damolo Howe of the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum to shed light on the very confusing and conflicting reports, we finally learned that people had indeed been killed.

Admin Marlene was told by no less than the Sulu Sultanate spokesman that reports have it that indeed there had been killings and those killed were civilians but that they were killed by the Malaysian Navy with the bodies dumped in Philippine waters, an action which, according to the Sultanate spokesperson, was done to implicate the Philippine Navy.

I just got off the phone with the Sulu Sultanate's spokesperson, Abe Idjirani. He said that whatever was reported on the paper regarding the 35 DEAD SULTANATE FOLLOWERS IS NOT TRUE! The Sulu Sultanate denied it and the Philippine Navy denied it. Why can't the Malaysian government stop lying?  

They are so hell bent in their propaganda that they think the world will be easily manipulated with constant LIES AND FALSE CLAIMS. What happened was that 10 civilians who have been living in Sabah for many years were suspected as Sulu Sultanate sympathizers.  

The Malaysian militants rounded them up and took them to the Philippine territorial waters to IMPLICATE THE PHILIPPINE NAVY AS THE ONES DOING THE KILLING. BUT THE FACT IS, IT WAS THE MALAYSIAN MILITANTS WHO KILLED CIVILIAN PEOPLE AND DUMPED THEM IN OUR WATERS SO THE WORLD WILL THINK OUR PHILIPPINE NAVY KILLED THEM.  

There was a witness who came forward and reported it to the RSF (Royal Security Forces) who then reported back to the Sulu Sultanate. This story corroborated the previous post I made yesterday after I talked to a member of the Royal family.  

I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT TRUE! THERE IS NO 35 DEAD BUT 10 CIVILIANS WERE KILLED BY MALAYSIAN FORCES TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE THE SULTANATE SUFFERED A GREAT LOSS AND THEREFORE, COVER UP THEIR INABILITY TO MATCH THE SKILLS OF OUR TAUSUG WARRIORS. WORST, THEY TRIED TO IMPLICATE OUR OWN PHILIPPINE NAVY. IT'S A DEVIOUS AND HARAM ACT BY ILLEGAL INTRUDERS, MALAYSIA!  

This ongoing human rights violation by Malaysia should not go unnoticed. Our people are being tortured and slaughtered and the world stood by. Worst, our own president is standing by, doing nothing!

~~ Admin Marlene, Philippine Sabah Claim Forum 27 April 2013  

Remember that at the beginning of these confusing reports, on 24 April to be precise, Malaysian defence minister himself had implied that PH Navy had done it as some kind of a 'favour', a 'service' to the Malaysian Govt to prevent possible disruption of their May 5th elections. In fact Hamidi, at a press conference on 24th April in George Town thanked:

Malaysia's Zahid Hamidi

"... the Philippine Armed Forces, particularly the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard which had given close cooperation to the Malaysian government, particularly the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM)."

So where are we at today? There were people who were killed, so we were told. Malaysia's defence minister placed it at the door of the Philippine Navy. He is implicating the Philippine Navy for the death of 35 Filipinos alleging that those killed were going to Sabah to disrupt Malaysian elections in Sabah scheduled on 5th May. 

There are dead people; a Malaysian minister implying that PH Navy had done Malaysia government a favour; virtual accusations of complicity proferred against the Navy by the same minister... yet, if not true, why has our government - rank to rank - not deemed it fit not to protest against the lies?

Shall we, again just look down in abject surrender while the direct assault on the already tattered integrity of our nation's navy? Could Malaysian defence minister's intel reports be true? 

Philipppines' Gazmin

There is no need to wage war against Malaysia but there is a need to seek the truth about who died and why they died, and perhaps, we may just raise ourselves from the abject position that Malaysian officials have pushed us in.

The task of belying Zahid Hamidi's - and Sabah police chief's - declaration that our Navy had killed Filipinos as a favour to Malaysian Govt falls on the shoulders of the former Commanding General of the President Security Battalion, a veteran of the Mindanao campaigns who later on became Commanding General of the Philippine Army and who now happens to be the top man at the department of national defence of the Republic... 

Yes, PH Secretary of Defense Voltaire 'Voltz' Gazmin must come out to either admit that the Philippine Navy had done it or to tell his Malaysian counterpart that what he says is a lie. Will he do it?

~~ AdB
For the Defenders of the Philippine Sabah and Spratly Claims
29 April 2013

Discussion going on at Philippine Sabah Claim Forum 

Link to news article: Sabah Police backs Malaysia Defence Minister Zahid Hamidi that PH Navy killed 35 Filipinos from Sulu going to Sabah to disrupt Sabah elections

Related posts: 

• Malaysia defence minister Zahid Hamidi insists that PH Navy killed 35 Filipinos going to Sabah 
• But what does stupid Zahid Hamidi gain by lying brazenly that PH Navy killed 35 Filipinos as a service to Malaysia Govt
• Malaysia defence minister Zahid Hamidi claims PH Navy shot dead 35 Filipinos going to Sabah 

It would be easy to negotiate with Tausug warrior Nur Misuari

AT THE END OF THE DAY, NUR MISUARI CAN BE A 'SOFTIE'... NO! NO! That's not meant to malign the MNLF founder and legendary Tausug warrior but merely to say that he is human and appreciates, like many of us, respect and a minimum of courtesy. 

That was actually my reaction after reading a news report in today's Freeman that said, "The stance of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chairman Nur Misuari against the framework agreement may soon soften as a result of the Aquino administration's "talks" with the leader of the former rebel group."

It reminded me of a story that no less than current DND Secretary Voltz Gazmin likes to tell, that of the 1986 historic meeting between the late President Cory Aquino and the legenderary warrior -- or an incident just before the meeting, when she broke protocol and flew to Sulu to sue for peace with the MNLF. Voltz Gazmin, who was then CG, Presidential Security Group, tells the story often enough to highlight the courageous streak in the late president but which also gave us an insight into Misuari's innate Tausug character.

Voltz Gazmin recounted that the event was due to take place right in MNLF lair and as commanding general of the presidential security command, he was naturally apprehensive for the security of the chief executive. The life of the president was in his hands. He remarked that the president felt almost no fear and trusted that she would be able to achieve what she had set out to do. But he did not trust the MNLF, Misuari or not Misuari, to get anywhere near the president especially in Sulu where he would be severely outnumbered if things went wrong. But one thing he did say was that from the onset of the meeting between Cory and Misuari, the Tausug rebel exuded a very courteous demeanour towards the president, almost humble, perhaps, honoured and impressed that the president, a woman to boot, would have the courage to show up in "enemy country."

After a brief courteous exchanges, and just as the serious part of the discussions was about to begin, Mrs Aquino did the most unexpected thing -- which had not been planned at all; she ordered everyone out of the conference room except for a note taker. She decided that she was going to speak to Nur Misuari one-on-one. Voltz was naturally caught off guard. He was adamant that he did not want to leave the president alone with the rebel Tausug Misuari and insisted to be present with the president. But the president refused Gazmin's remonstrances. She was determined that they should be left alone to discuss the proecess of peace. She tried to reassure the PSG chief that everything would be alright and ordered him to leave.

With his heart trepidating, he left and waited outside the conference room. After nearly an hour, the president called for staff and the commander of the PSG. Alongside a meek-looking Nur Misuari, the president announced that they had come to an agreement to go forward to settle matters towards peace. According to Gazmin, he was left speechless. He saw Nur Misuari almost appearing like a lamb, acting with great deference to the president, in other words, respectful.

Cory Aquino left an indelible image of courage and fortitude in General Voltz Gazmin. But unknown to him, he left me personally with the appreciation that Nur Misuari, despite the rhetorics, is a reasonable man, a fierce but also gentle Tausug warrior. And that was what the MNLF commander was like when I finally met him for the first time back in the 90s. 

At the end of the day, negotiating for the much abused 'just and lasting peace' with the 'Moros' may just be possible through Nur Misuari. All it would take is to give him the respect he and his people deserves. 

By Anne de Bretagne
For The Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
24 October 2012