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

It is regrettable that Malaysia has rejected the call for ceasefire by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in Sabah. The loss of lives and the impact of the hostilities upon the members of the community, many of whom are also Filipinos, are lamentable. Clearly, apathy toward the situation is not an option we can take at the moment. We need to continue looking for solutions in ways that loss of lives and impact on the innocent members of the community, will be minimized.