The Philippines' Department of Social Welfare and Development (DWSD) will not take further action regarding the deaths of two children soon after they were deported from Sabah last week.

DSWD regional director for Zamboanga Geraldine A Valbuena said no complaints or other form of representation will be made to the Malaysian government as the deaths had been accepted.

"The parents have accepted their fate and manifested no adverse reaction to the deaths of their children, although we are sad that they had to die this way," she said when contacted in Zamboanga.

Thirteen-year old Timah Basir and two-year-old Nurhani Nurmin who hailed from Sumisip, Basilan, died from their illnesses soon after the ship that was ferrying them left Sabah for Zamboanga.

Timah died of a cardiac arrest following 'severe malnutrition and hypoglycaemia' sometime after the ship's departure on Sept 29 and before its arrival at Zamboanga City the following day.

Nurhani died at the Zamboanga City Medical Centre on the day of her arrival after suffering from chronic gastroenteritis, severe malnutrition and severe pneumonia.

However, an official from the Philippine embassy in Kuala Lumpur indicated that clarification on the deaths has been requested from the Sabah immigration authorities and the state Federal Task Force on Foreign Workers.

Consul-General Antonio Morales said when contacted that the immigration authorities had informed him by telephone this morning that "an officer would be assigned to investigate the matter."

Letters had also been sent formally seeking an explanation, he added.

Why no checks?

Meanwhile, Valbuena said though the DSWD would not be pursuing the matter any further, her department was concerned over the efforts taken by Malaysian immigration authorities to ensure only those fit are made to undergo the one-day journey from Sabah to Zamboanga.

"We are wondering why your quarantine officers don't check those in detention centres before deporting them. We hope they will consider the fact that they (had) sick people onboard," she added.

However, she said such incidents were beyond the control of the Philippine authorities.

"It is your immigration that controls the deportation. It is they who boarded the minors with their parents despite them being sick, and we cannot tell them not to," she added.

Following the death of the two minors, the Philippine STAR daily reported Tuesday that the republic would be invoking its agreement with Malaysia that the latter should not deport any sick illegal immigrants.

It also said batches of deportees are expected to arrive every week following Malaysia's announcement that it would crack down on an estimated 300,000 illegal Filipino migrants who had entered Malaysia through the southern Philippines.

The Malaysian authorities have so far deported 7,000 Filipinos since January, with an estimated 1,000 more to arrive over the next three months, according to the report.