MANILA (2nd UPDATE) - A cousin of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram has reportedly been arrested by Malaysian police in the

island of Sabah, Malaysia. Salib Asaral, the sultan's cousin, is currently detained in the town of Lahad Datu, where over a hundred of the sultan's followers arrived by sea last February 9 to claim the island. The Kiram clan confirmed Monday night that Salib has been arrested by Malaysian security forces. The Philippines has sent a mercy ship to pick up scores of followers of Kiram who entered the Malaysian state of Sabah to press his territorial claims. The "humanitarian ship" departed the southern-most Philippine island province of Tawi-Tawi before midnight and headed to Lahad Datu on Borneo island, where dozens of followers of Kiram have been locked in a tense stand-off with Malaysian authorities for two weeks. The Filipinos have been holed up in a small coastal area of Lahad Datu town, where they have remained surrounded by security forces since February 12 as they pursue their claim to settle in the state, which used to be a part of the Sultanate of Sulu. "As we have stated on countless occasions previously, we call on the entire group to go back to their homes and families, even at the same time, we are addressing the core issues they have raised," Philippines Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said in a statement on Sunday. "Please do so for your own safety," he added. Aboard the mercy ship were Filipino Muslim leaders, social workers and medical personnel, del Rosario's statement said, stressing that the government "was deeply concerned" about the presence of women among the group. The Philippines informed Malaysia through its embassy in Manila of the move on Saturday, it added. Del Rosario's statement said the group numbered some 180, with 30 armed escorts, although the sultan's spokesman, Abraham Idjirani, last week put the figure at 400, including 20 bearing arms. Idjirani said the sultan had given the Filipinos his blessing to reside in Sabah and they were determined to resist efforts to expel them. The Islamic Sultanate of Sulu once controlled parts of Borneo, including the site of the stand-off, as well as southern Philippine islands. The sultanate leased northern Borneo to Europeans in the 1870s. While the sultanate's authority gradually faded as Western colonial powers exerted their influence over the region, it continued to receive lease payments for Sabah. Heirs to the sultanate still receive nominal annual compensation from Malaysia under a long-standing agreement. One of the demands from the sultan's followers is an increase in the amount of compensation paid. Deadline extension On Monday, del Rosario urged Malaysia to extend the Tuesday deadline for the Sultan's followers to leave Sabah. He met with Malaysian Ambassador to Manila Dato' Mohd Zamri Bin Mohd Kassim to renew Manila's request. The DFA said the deadline extension is needed to convince the sultan's followers to leave the island voluntarily.

"We had a meeting this morning and we want to know some details regarding what is happening as far as the Filipinos in Sabah are concerned. We are still hoping they will come back to us with official confirmation," DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said. Del Rosario also urged Kuala Lumpur to allow the Philippine ship to dock at Lahad Datu to bring food to the Filipinos and fetch those who want to go home. "The current plan is for that ship to be at the border. The Malaysian government will bring the Filipinos to Lahad Datu to our ship which will be anchored off the border," Hernandez said. "We sent the ship to Lahad Datu on a humanitarian mission. We are deeply concerned about the presence of five women and other civilians in the group, and we urge them to board the ship without delay and return home," del Rosario said. "We are getting mixed signals so we asked that Tuesday midnight deadline be officially confirmed," del Rosario said in a text message. The meeting also tackled the situation of Filipinos in Sabah. "We were trying to see how we could end this peacefully and expeditiously so we want also to be able to bring our cship close to Lahad Datu for the movement of the people there and to bring them back home and other civilians there. We are trying to convince them to board the ship and go home as soon as possible," Hernandez said. -- with reports from Ron Gagalac and Henry Omaga-Diaz, ABS-CBN News; Agence France-Presse Arroyo, 165 VIPs get gun ban exemption by RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News Posted at 02/25/2013 6:40 PM | Updated as of 02/25/2013 6:40 PM

MANILA - A total of 166 VIPs, including former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, have been given gun ban exemptions for their security personnel. Some 155 law enforcement agencies have also been given gun ban exemptions. Based on records of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) committee on the ban on firearms and security personnel, among those who got exemptions for VIP security detail are Arroyo, who is incumbent Pampanga 2nd District representative, former First Lady Imelda Marcos, Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda and her husband Rodolfo Pineda. Others who also got gun ban exemptions are: Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto, Senator Loren Legarda, former Senator Tessie Aquino-Oreta, Senator Francis Pangilinan, Senator Bong Revilla, Rep. Lani Mercado-Revilla, Senator Bongbong Marcos, Senator Gregorio Honasan, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago,

Senator Sergio Osmea III, Senator Antonio Trillanes, Senator TG Guingona, House Speaker Sonny Belmonte, Manny Pacquiao and his wife and Jinkee, Rep. Teddy Casio, Rep. Neri Colmenares, and, several other congressmen and local officials. Other senators and justices of the Supreme Court earlier got gun ban exemptions. Based on a list from the Comelec, those who were also granted gun ban exemptions are: Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Senator Panfilo Lacson, Senator Vicente Sotto III; Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, Associate Justices Marvic Leonen, Roberto Abad, Arturo Brion, Lucas Bersamin, and Diosdado Peralta; Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Defense Assistant Secretary Zabedin Asis; Rep. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado; Arafat Yusoph, the chief of staff of Commissioner Elias Yusoph; as as well as the chiefs of staff of Chairman Sixto Brillantes, Commissioners Rene Sarmiento, Lucenito Tagle, Armando Velasco, Christian Robert Lim, and Grace Padaca.

Kim Chiu, Sarah Geronimo, new best friends? ABS-CBNnews.com Posted at 02/25/2013 3:10 PM | Updated as of 02/25/2013 4:13 PM

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) Filipino netizens were abuzz after photos of actresses Kim Chiu and Sarah Geronimo hugging each other made the rounds on social networking sites Twitter and Instagram late Sunday. Geronimo and Chiu were both at the SM Mall of Asia Arena for the finals night of Himig Handog P-Pop Love Songs. Chiu was one of the hosts of the show, while Geronimo was among the judges of the songwriting tilt. Among those who first posted the pictures was Chius stylist Kimi Yap. Citing her own source, KrisTV headwriter Darla Sauler said Geronimo greeted and embraced Chiu when they unexpectedly crossed paths backstage. Before the competition started, @ABSCBNdotcom tweeted that Chiu and Geronimo shared the same dressing room. "Ang gaan sa pakiramdam. Yun, unexpected," Chiu later told Sauler in an interview when asked how she felt after her brief moment with the Pop Star Princess.

While they have yet to work in a project together, Chiu told Sauler that she is extremely happy that she and Geronimo hugged each other that both of them became teary-eyed. Meanwhile, Geronimo told ABS-CBN News on Monday that she really wanted to give Chiu a hug since the news about actor Gerald Anderson and actress Maja Salvador broke out. Kasi sabi ko, kailangan ni Kim yun, ng yakap, at kailangan ko din yun. (laughs). Hindi, yun naman eh... Basta gusto ko lang talaga siya yakapin, she said. Nagkita kami pagkarating ko [sa dressing room]. Nauna kasi ako tapos sumunod na siya. Tapos parang bebeso lang siya, eh tumayo ako kasi gusto ko siya talaga i-hug. Syempre medyo ano, teary-eyed [ako]. Tinatanong niyo pa [kung bakit], she added. Geronimo, however, refused to divulge what she and Chiu talked about during the short encounter. The singer also said she is hoping that Chiu appreciated her simple hug. Meron po [kaming exchange of words]. Secret na [kung ano]. Sana [na-appreciate niya yung hug ko]. Pero 'yung friendship kailangan may time talaga yan para mapatunayan na totoo. Hindi lang dahil hinihingi ng sitwasyon o dahil nagkataon lang, she said. Filipino netizens were delighted to finally see the two together, as this was their first time to see Geronimo and Chiu both linked to Anderson in the past -- in a picture.