The government will file multiple criminal charges against 35 suspected followers of Sulu sultan Jamalul Kiram III who were intercepted by the Phillipine Navy off the Tawi-Tawi province on Wednesday morning.

"The processes are now being undertaken by a composite team with the end view of filing the appropriate charges against them as soon as possible," Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said at a press briefing in the Malacanang Palace aired over state-run Radyo ng Bayan .

NONE Offhand, De Lima ( left ) noted that the suspects will be charged with illegal possession of firearms, and violating the election gun ban.

"There would be other charges, I’m sure," she said, adding that these could be "in relation to their activities while in Sabah".

The suspects, including one woman, are being held at a Navy camp in Tawi-Tawi.

They were on two motorboats that had apparently come from Sabah where the Sulu crown prince, Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram, had led more than 200 followers to press their claim to the territory, and where they have been battling Malaysian security forces since early this month.

One of the suspects was wounded, allegedly during the fighting in Sabah.

The Navy also found six firearms on the boats.

De Lima stressed that the suspects will continue to be detained at the base of Naval Task Force 62 in Panglima Sugala, Tawi-Tawi because of "serious security concerns".

- InterAksyon

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