MANILA, Philippines – After more than a week, President Benigno Aquino weighed in Thursday (February 21st), criticising a group of Filipino gunmen who are attempting to stake a territorial claim to land on Malaysian Borneo, AFP reported.

The group – followers of an Islamic sultan from the southern Philippines – has been surrounded for the past several days by Malaysian security forces. The sultan insists the area, Sabah, belonged to his people centuries ago, but was excluded from the framework peace agreement struck between the Philippine government and southern-based rebels back in October.

In his first public comments on the issue, Aquino said, "Going there with arms is not the way to resolve this". He added that the government has been talking to all parties, including the sultan's family, to resolve the matter.