The Philippines media...

On the day Defense Minister Zahid Hamidi lauded the media players for their role in reporting the 'truth' about the Sulus intrusion in Sabah, the self-proclaimed Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III pressed for Philippines and foreign media be allowed entry into Lahad Datu.

The Philippines media, especially has been refuting reports from Malaysia on the number of death and arrest on the Sulus by Bernama and dailies such as Utusan Malaysia, New Straits Times and the Star.

While Malaysian journalists too were not allowed to enter the conflict zone and only picked up facts from media conferences and statements issued by the police or armed forces, foreign journos also had to make do with whatever info they got from the same sources.

However, Kiram and some Philippines media accused Malaysian government of launching an 'anti-Kiram campaign' by using mainstream newspapers to batter him.

DIGOS CITY—After labeling Agbimuddin Kiram’s forces in Sabah terrorists, the Malaysian government has launched a campaign to discredit the brother of the Sulu group’s leader, Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, along with an effort to link them with the Malaysian opposition. 
In a report published this week, the state-owned news agency Berita National Malaysia (Bernama) accused Jamalul of “masquerading as the sultan of Sulu” and saying he “cannot lay claim to the defunct title.” 
Bernama has always acted at the behest of the government, and is seen in Malaysia as the window to what the Barisan Nasional (ruling national coalition) thinks.

Such an accusation was bias and leading to the Philippines media 'protecting Kiram and agreeing to his followers intrusion in Sabah'.

I have been following reports by the Philippines mainstream media since the intrusion about a month ago and none really sympathise with Malaysia and the people of Lahad Datu, except a few lines that described Kiram's move as against the good relation between Manila and Kuala Lumpur.

Most of them also carried stories about the rights of the Sulu people to claim their ancestors' land in Sabah by publishing details and head-spinning history which backdated in the 17th century. So strong and 'logic' is the claim that they even suggested Manila to bring up the case to international arbitrators.

However, some regional newspapers also proposed for a peace solution to the conflict in Lahad Datu and asking Malaysia to be more humane to those arrested.

But Kiram and his supporters are the ones demanding the rights for foreign journalists to enter the conflict area 'to explore the truth about the situation' in Lahad Datu.

MANILA, Philippines - The Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo on Friday demanded that Malaysia allow foreign and local journalists to enter the conflict affected areas of Sabah to verify Kuala Lumpur's claim that 32 members of the Royal Sulu Army have been shot dead by Malaysian security forces on Wednesday and Thursday.
“Dapat papasukin na ang foreign and local media sa mga conflict affected areas to verify their claims. Until that is done, everything is subject to debate,” said Abraham Idjirani, spokesman of the sultanate.
Idjirani added that unless verified by local and international media, the number of casualties inflicted by Malaysian security forces on the Sulu Royal Army is just propaganda by the Malaysian government.
Malaysian Federal Police chief Ismil Omar also said at least 52 members of the Sulu Royal Army have so far been killed in engagements with Malaysian security forces.  Omar added that one of those killed in the recent encounters was a man believed to be holding the rank of a general in the Royal Sulu Army.
The Sultanate of Sulu maintains that so far, only 10 of its forces in Sabah have been killed. The Sultanate’s army in Sabah is under the command of Raja Muda (Crown Prince) Agbimuddin Kiram, brother of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III.
On Thursday, Jamalul declared a “cessation of hostilities” hours after the Malaysian government rejected the unilateral ceasefire the former had earlier declared.

I believe it would be better if Kiram himself comes to Lahad Datu. Maybe our government can consider his 'freedom' here and see for himself the damage his people had inflicted...