For thousands of Filipinos detained in Sabah, Malaysia, repatriation to the Philippines has become an urgent humanitarian concern.

A letter dated August 6, 2026, from the Sabah State Immigration Department to Dakota Shipping Enterprise states that Malaysian authorities intend to repatriate 800 Filipino detainees from Sandakan Port to Zamboanga City on August 22 aboard the MV Antonia 1. The letter says the number of Filipino detainees in Sabah has reached 5,495, creating serious congestion in immigration detention depots and requiring immediate action.

The urgency is understandable. Sabah has continued repatriating Filipinos who have completed their legal and immigration processes. In July, Malaysian authorities sent 260 Filipinos from detention depots in Kota Kinabalu, Papar and Sandakan to Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, using a commercial ferry. In May, another 112 Filipinos were repatriated through Lahad Datu.

The present problem, however, is the vessel designated for the Sandakan-Zamboanga operation. The MV Antonia is operated by Aleson Shipping Lines, which maintains the Sandakan-Zamboanga route. But Aleson’s passenger fleet was grounded by the Department of Transportation in January after the sinking of the company’s M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 off Basilan. The disaster killed at least 18 people initially reported, prompting MARINA and the Philippine Coast Guard to conduct a comprehensive safety audit and inspection of Aleson’s vessels and crew.

This creates a difficult dilemma. Malaysian immigration authorities are calling for repatriation because detention facilities are overcrowded, while Philippine regulators must ensure that any vessel carrying hundreds of people is genuinely seaworthy and compliant.

MARINA has since been working on corrective measures involving Aleson. In June, the agency said Aleson’s new ship-management team had submitted an action plan addressing deficiencies in the fleet and safety-management system as a condition for lifting the suspension.

The answer should not be to sacrifice maritime safety for speed. But neither should safety reviews become an indefinite barrier to bringing people home.

The Filipinos in Sabah and concerned citizens urgently appeal the Philippine government to either certify any vessel that meets all safety requirements or provide a safe alternative, such as a Philippine Navy vessel, to bring the detainees home.

I thank former AFP Chief of Staff and former Philippine Ambassador General Alexander Yano for bringing to my attention the urgency of this matter and for sharing the concerns of our fellow Filipinos in Sabah and their families in the Philippines.