MANILA, February 26, 2013-Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan joins President Benigno Aquino in appealing to Jamalul Kiram III to put an end to the standoff in Sabah.
"This standoff has reached a critical point where the Philippine government must now act decisively and do what is necessary to protect the general interest of the Filipino people," says Pangilinan, a peace advocate. "Kiram is essentially declaring war on Malaysia. He must understand that it has never been a policy of the Philippines to take on other countries by force. Regardless of Sulu's rightful claim to Sabah, an armed invasion will unlikely lead to an amicable resolution."
Pangilinan says that the Philippines' ties with Malaysia take precedence over contested claims.
"This has come at a time when we are so close to achieving lasting peace with our brothers from the South. Malaysia has played a crucial role in brokering talks between the Philippine government and our Muslim brothers in Mindanao. We cannot afford to have a wedge between our country and Malaysia because of one person's whim."
No comments:
Post a Comment