Statement of Sen. Loren Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, on Recent Developments on the Sabah Standoff

“The first line of defense for Filipinos in the Sabah standoff is provided by the DFA. Diplomacy should prevail as we seek to encourage and assure our Filipino brothers in the standoff that there is a peaceful way of resolving their claims.

“Clearly, it is not through the barrel of a gun that both parties can reasonably resolve the issues. The objective is not to encourage the adoption of hard line positions, but rather to soften these positions so that we do not close the doors to a peaceful resolution of the current situation and the issues that triggered the situation.

“I am appealing to all concerned to avoid statements and actions that will further inflame the already tense and delicate situation.”