PETALING JAYA (March 6): The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) has decided to turn to the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) for help in filing a case with the International Criminal Court over the attacks on Sulu rebels in Sabah.

Former MNLF leader Nur Misuari told the Philippines Inquirer today that he believed the Filipino and Malaysian governments were colluding in a “joint action to massacre our people in Sabah”.

He also called for the resignation of President Benigno Aquino III and all government officials responsible for the crisis in Lahad Datu.

“They are using their power to conspire with a foreign power against their own citizens and that is bad,” Nur Misuari said.

“They are only carrying small firearms to protect themselves and here the Malaysian forces ordered air-strikes against these people. That is our land in the first place.”

Malaysian security forces launched an aerial and ground offensive against the Tausug rebels in Kampung Tanduo early yesterday morning.

One Sulu gunman was reportedly shot dead this morning on the second day of operations, now dubbed “Ops Daulat”.

Misuari also hit out at Filipino Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Del Rosario for agreeing to brand the rebels in Sabah as terrorists.

Misuari, who has denied any involvement in the standoff, had offered to mediate in talks to peacefully resolve the standoff earlier this week.

In a press conference with the Filipino media yesterday, however, he said that he had already “advised” Najib to “not touch our civilians”.

“Once you do that, that would be tantamount to declaration of war against our people and the MNLF,” he said.

According to Misuari, there are currently 1.5 million Tausug speaking people in Sabah.

Former governor of North Cotabato in the Southern Philippines Emmanuel Pinol, meanwhile, has warned Malaysia not to repeat America’s mistake of underestimating the Tausugs.

In a recent blog entry, Pinol said that the Tausugs are considered the fiercest warriors among the different tribes in Southern Philippines, who use "barongs" (a thick, leaf-shaped, single-edged blade sword) as their weapon.

According to him, this tribe is known to have produced the most “huramentados” in the history of the conflict in the Southern Philippines. “Huramentados” were warriors who use “barongs” to fight their gun-toting enemies.

“The Malaysian authorities, in my view, committed a big blunder by starting a firefight with these Tausug warriors,” said Pinol, who was a former journalist.

“I am not underestimating the capabilities and skills of the Malaysian soldiers but history will tell us that they have never been engaged in fierce and bloody battles. These Tausugs have lived all their lives fighting.”

He added that if the Sabah situation is mishandled, the Malaysian government could find itself engaged in a protracted and eventually, very costly battle.