Search continues to find abducted Chinese
tourist, Filipino hotel employee from Sabah, says Palace
Security forces from the Philippines are
conducting search and rescue operations in Mindanao following a kidnapping
incident in Sabah, Malaysia, the Palace said on Saturday.
“According to the AFP, patuloy po ang best
efforts natin for search and rescue doon sa probable areas in BASULTA kung saan
allegedly dinala daw po 'yung dalawa mula sa Sabah,” Deputy Presidential
spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a radio interview on Saturday.
“Nagko-conduct na ng extensive search and naval
blockade ang ating AFP para matingnan ang mga suspected seacrafts… ang mga
hindi pangkaraniwang mga seacraft na nagta-travel doon sa mga lugar na ‘yon.
Tapos na-alert na rin ang ibang WestMinCom units natin doon sa BASULTA area to
aid in the search,” she told dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
On Wednesday, a Chinese tourist and a Filipino
hotel employee were abducted by gunmen in Sabah, Malaysia, known for its
natural attractions and scuba diving sites.
The Malaysian government said the kidnapping may
be intended to sour further the relations between Malaysia and China, which is
already strained by the disappearance of a Malaysian airliner with many Chinese
passengers onboard. Search operations are continuing to find the missing plane.
In the past, bandits kidnapped tourists and
fishermen in the area and reportedly brought them to nearby Philippine Islands.
PND (as)
Palace hopes Santiago-Ferrer meeting could
thresh out legality issue of Bangsamoro peace pact
The Palace said it hopes Sen. Miriam Defensor
Santiago could meet government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer to
discuss the legality of the newly signed Comprehensive Agreement on the
Bangsamoro (CAB).
While Senator Santiago said she supports the
Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, she’s worried about its
constitutionality. The senator also said she wanted to ensure the CAB could
pass the constitutionality test which is why she is questioning its legality.
“Mabuti po ‘yon kasi maganda din na nagkaroon
sila ng ganitong exchange because the government is always open to explain
‘yung contents of the agreement,” Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail
Valte said in a radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday.
“Kahit noong Framework Agreement pa lang
nag-ikot po talaga ‘yung ating panel sa mga civil society organizations, sa
members of the academe, sa ating mga legislators para ipakita nila talaga ‘yung
nilalaman,” she added.
She said the Palace hopes the meeting to push
through so that the executive branch could explain the processes in coming up
with an agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Although a lot of people support peace in
Mindanao, the Palace official said she hopes the Supreme Court will uphold its
constitutionality if ever there’s a legal challenge.
The Philippine government and the MILF signed
last week the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro in Malacanang. The
peace pact aims to bring an end to several decades of conflict in Mindanao that
has claimed more than 100,000 lives. PND (as)
