Duterte: Let’s just talk over Sabah claim

Philippines President-elect Rodrigo Duterte says if his country files an actual case in the international courts, it will surely win but it doesn’t want trouble.

PETALING JAYA: Philippines President-elect Rodrigo Duterte today said he would pursue his claim over oil-rich Sabah through peaceful means.

“We don’t have the luxury of getting into trouble or another war.

“We just have to talk to everybody to develop our country,” Duterte was quoted as saying by the Philippine Inquirer news portal.

“We can’t afford to fight. Let’s just talk, and I hope the Malaysians will understand,” Duterte said.

“We will make clear to them what is going to happen.

“If we file an actual case in (the international) court, it is sure we will win.

“And yet, we don’t want trouble, so can we resolve this by other means?”

Duterte was responding to a statement by Prime Minister Najib Razak asking the Philippine leader not to reignite the Sabah dispute.

“I stick with the original position of the government, nothing has changed,” when asked about the startling announcement he made last week that he would pursue the Philippines’ claim on Sabah.

In a report by the Japan-based The Diplomat, Najib was quoted as saying on Monday “that Duterte should instead use his time more productively to help resolve the Moro insurgency than press the Philippines’ claim on Sabah”.

“That certainly would be more productive than reigniting the Sabah claim issue.”

Najib also called on the Philippine government to implement the 2014 peace deal it had forged with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which Kuala Lumpur helped broker.

He said this would “help bring to a close a dispute that has cost so many lives”.

Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman had said the Philippines’ claim was “irrelevant” as the issue had long been settled by the Cobbold Commission.