Kerajaan Filipina telah menghantar sebuah kapal untuk mengangkut pulang 180 orang dan termasuk 30 pengawal bersenjata yang dikepung di Lahad Datu oleh Angkatan Tentera Malaysia. Pihak Filipina menggesa kelompok tersebut untuk pulang demi keselamatan mereka.
Turut disertakan bersama kapal tersebut ialah pemimpin Islam Filipina, pekerja sosial dan petugas kesihatan.
Pihak penceroboh telah mengemukakan tuntutan agar mereka diiktiraf sebagai Tentera Diraja Sultan Sulu dan mendesak agar pendatang Sulu di Sabah tidak dihantar pulang ke Filipina. Pihak Filipina mendakwa mereka telah menceroboh Malaysia atas undangan pemimpin pembangkang negara ini.
Philippine govt sends ship to ferry back group from Lahad Datu
KUALA LUMPUR: The Philippine Government has dis patched a ship on humanitarian mission to ferry back a group of 180 members, including 30 armed escorts, which has been holed up in Lahad Datu, Sabah since Feb 12.
Bearing hull number AT296, the vessel sailed from Bon gao, Tawi-Tawi to the Tanduo village in Lahad Datu where it is pre-positioned off-shore while talks with the group are underway tonight.
Notification of the ship's dispatch was conveyed by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) yesterday, to the Malaysian Embassy in Manila.
In a statement issued by the DFA, its Foreign Affairs Secretary, Albert F. del Rosario, urged the group to return to their homes and families, "even at the same time we are addressing the core issues they have raised".
He urged them to do so for their own safety.
On the ship, del Rosario said: "We are deeply concerned over the presence of five women and other civilians in the group, and we urge them to board the ship without delay and return home.
According to the statement, onboard the ship are Filipino- Muslim leaders, as well as social workers and medical personnel.
