Only 22 of 38 nabbed off isle are members of sultan's army

Twenty-two of the 38 people arrested off Tawi-Tawi apparently as they returned from Sabah on Wednesday are members of the "royal Sulu army", the spokesperson for the Sulu sultanate said today.
 
Abraham Idjirani (right), who is also the sultanate's secretary-general, told reporters Datu Panglima Sabandal Edi Idris of Basilan led the members of the sultanate’s army who were intercepted in two boats by Philippine Navy ships early Wednesday.
 
Earlier, authorities said they found firearms on the boats and one of the passengers was wounded, apparently during fighting in Sabah between followers of the sultanate and Malaysian security forces.
 
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has said charges of illegal firearms possession and violation of the election gun ban are likely to be filed against the suspects, although she added that additional cases related to their activities in Sabah might also be filed.
 
Idjirani said they will be sending a legal team to Tawi-Tawi to help their followers, although he added that the detainees, who are being held at Juan Magluyang Naval Base in Barangay Batubatu, Panglima Sugala, have been treated well.
 
Reporters who were briefly allowed into the base Thursday evening learned 14 of the detainees are from Basilan, 13 from Tubig Indanan, four from Jolo, four from Bongao, two from Sibutu and one from Zamboanga City.
 
Meanwhile, Idjirani is expected to appear before the National Bureau of Investigation this afternoon to honour a subpoena issued in relation to the government probe into the Sabah crisis.

- InterAksyon