Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III and his men who staged a standoff against Malaysian authorities in Sabah will face charges, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said Thursday.
The National Bureau of Investigation is in the process of building a "airtight cases" against Kiram and his men, the Secretary added.
Her statement came at the heels of Kiram's calls for a unilateral
ceasefire in Sabah, which was rejected by the Malaysian government.
Clashes
have raged in the Borneo territory since March 1 after Malaysia
launched an all-out offensive against armed Filipinos holed out in Lahad
Datu.
Malaysia officials have broached the possibility of asking the Philippines to "extradite" Kiram.
"Ang
priority, siyempre, yung pagsasampa ng kaso dito sa Pilipinas (Filing
of cases in the Philippines is of course the priority)," reports quoted
De Lima as saying.
She added that the NBI is focusing on identifying the appropriate charges, noting that evidence have been collected.
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Earlier
reports have floated the possibility of Kiram being charged with
inciting to war or giving motives for reprisals, illegal possession of
firearms, violations of the election gun ban, and illegal assembly,
among others.
Kiram may also face Malaysian laws, De Lima explained.
"I suppose they violated also Malaysian laws," the Justice chief said.
She
added they will also look into possible mechanisms of sending Kiram to
Malaysia but stressed that the Philippines has no extradition treaty
with the neighboring country.
Related story: Kiram camp calls for unilateral ceasefire, Malaysia rejects
