(Eagle News) — The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday said that the decision of Malaysia’s Court of Appeal imposing the death penalty on nine Filipinos implicated in a 2013 incursion in Borneo was not yet final.
In a statement, the DFA said the case will be heard by the Federal Court of Malaysia “under automatic appeal.”
“The Philippine government has extended legal and other forms of assistance to all the defendants from the trial stage of their case up to the appeal, and will continue to extend assistance to them as their case progresses,” the DFA added.
It said in the meantime, the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur was “monitoring their case very closely.”
The nine Filipinos–who have staked their claim on Sabah based on historical precedents—are accused of “waging war against the king” stemming from their supposed incursion into the island that resulted in several deaths.
The DFA said the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya effectively affirmed a June decision of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak convicting the nine Filipinos of such a crime, but overturned the same decision imposing life imprisonment on them.
The DFA said the appellate court also affirmed the High Court’s decision to acquit 13 Filipinos of various crimes related to reason and terrorism stemming from the incident, although it was unclear if the 13 Filipinos were apart from the nine who have been sentenced to hang.