The Philippine Navy today denied rumors that thousands of armed followers of the Sulu sultanate have entered Sabah to reinforce their beleaguered comrades there.

“A report saying that thousands of (Sulu sultan Jamalul) Kiram’s followers have been able to slip through Sabah borders is extremely doubtful,” said navy spokesperson Gregori Fabic.

According to The Philippine Star , Fabic said that the movement of hundreds of gunmen in the waters between Sabah and Tawi-Tawi in the province of Mindanao cannot go unnoticed by the navy.

“The naval barriers along our borders are well patrolled by both our Naval Forces West in Palawan and Naval Forces Western Mindanao in Zamboanga and their marine units have adequately covered all possible ports where they will be available to monitor their movements,” Fabic stressed.

Aside from the country’s navy, the Malaysian navy is also conducting sea patrols to prevent the possible entry of the supporters of the self-proclaimed sultan into Sabah.

Fabic said that the Philippine navy has been able to “control movements both in and out, assisting those fleeing Sabah from the violence as well as illegal transit across the border”.

Another Philippine news portal, InterAksyon , quoted Fabic as saying that the navy had come upon 121 Filipinos fleeing the violence in Sabah and was ferrying them to Bongao, Tawi-Tawi.

 

He said the BRP Sultan Kudarat , one of the Philippine military vessels imposing a naval blockade between the southern Philippines and Sabah, spotted two motor launches some 10 nautical miles west of Taja Island in Tawi-Tawi at around 6.30am local time.

 

The M/L Alniza had 80 passengers and 1,500 sacks of rice on board, while the M/L Nizarl had 41 evacuees and 1,600 sacks of rice.

 

The evacuees had come from Sandakan and were headed to Bongao, Fabic said.

 

NONE The navy ship met the vessels and took the evacuees on board. They are expected to arrive in Bongao tonight and will be turned over to local officials for assistance.

 

There have been several reports of Filipinos fleeing Sabah to avoid being caught up in the fighting between followers of the sultanate of Sulu, who are pressing their claim to the territory, and Malaysian security forces.

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