Kiram's people chose this path - Palace The ABSCBN News
Kiram's people chose this path - Palace The ABSCBN News
MANILA - President Benigno Aquino's spokesman said Tuesday the Philippines had done all it could to avoid a violent end to a stand-off in Sabah, as Malaysia launched an assault on Filipino gunmen there
1.30pm: Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and Defence Minister Zahid Hamidi arrive at the Felda Sahabat Residence by helicopter. They have been ushered into a room for briefing.
1.08pm: The Star tweets: Following the Tanduo operations, Semporna has been put on alert.
1.07pm: ABS-CBN reports that, at a press conference in Manila, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F del Rosario has remarked: "The fate of the people in Lahad Datu depend on those who continue to make a defiant stand."
1pm: In another posting at 12.43pm, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reports that Azzimudie, who is leading Sulu gunmen in Lahad Datu, has told the Sulu sultanate spokesperson Abraham Idjirani that "we're relaxing here".
Idjirani says Azzimudie called him "two minutes ago" to inform that there were no casualties among the Sulu followers in the bombing runs by Malaysian jets.
He adds that it was "divine intervention" that no one from the royal army was hit. According to Azzimudie, the bombs had hit Malaysian police and military positions instead.
A report filed earlier by the Manila Bulletin claims that the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) is joining the fray in Sabah.
The report says the MNLF's Malaysian-trained commanders will help the Sulu gunmen. It quotes former chief propagandist Hadji Acmad Bayam claims that the MNLF has a huge cache of weapons hidden deep in Sabah after their training there.
12.50pm: At the media centre in Bandar Sahabat, National Security Council secretary Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab said food had been prepared for displaced villagers.
"They have been placed in a hall .. nearby and we are assisting them. There is no food or water problem," he says.