The Sultanate of Maguindanao and the kingdom of Buayan in upper Cotabato played key roles in ending a civil war in Brunei in the 17th century that resulted in the Sulu sultanate being rewarded a huge swath of territory called Sabah.
Under a treaty entered into with the sultans of Sulu and Maguindanao in 1640, the Spaniards recognized the independence of the two sultanates. Thus, the Sulu sultan later became the sovereign ruler of Sabah.
Two events this past week may mark a turning point in the Sabah dispute. The first was when the Philippine government called upon its Malaysian counterpart to “clarify” reports about human rights abuses by Malaysian security forces on our nationals. The second was when the Malaysian government barred Filipino journalists from entering Sabah, only to relent a day later and allow them access to evacuation camps. These show that both sides realize that there is a global audience they must address and global standards of justice they need to satisfy.
How copious is our understanding of the Sultanate of Sulu? If Malacañang’s statement is true, that it has only begun consulting historical documents, then that understanding is miserably wanting. Manila has always had an ambivalent appreciation of the sultanate and its rightful place as an institution in Philippine polity.
Late last week, Nur Misuari took P-Noy to task for apparently mishandling the Sabah crisis.
The Occupy Sabah gambit by the heirs/descendants of the 17th-century Sultan of Sulu could not have come at a worst time.
The United Nations stepped in Thursday to end the fighting in Sabah before it turns into genocide: Malaysia’s overwhelming air-ground military task force attacking about 300 armed followers of the Sultan of Sulu.
A strange thing happened a few days ago. Nur Misuari came out in media blasting President Aquino, gave the President unsolicited advice, and then accused him of siding with Malaysia against Filipinos. I kept reading the news (thankfully, I missed the bizarre scene on TV) and wondered how history is so easily forgotten. And I am not talking only about Sabah.
Let’s not even talk of the Philippine title to Sabah which the P-Noy administration is apparently still studying. Let’s just talk about basic obligations, and not just privileges of states.
Partido Lakas ng Masa condemns the assault by the Malaysian armed forces, commandos and Marines that led to the death of 19 members of the Sulu Sultan’s security forces and the death of eight Malaysian policemen. We believe that our Filipino brothers are camped out in Kampung Tanduao, Lahad Datu, to dramatize the claim to Sabah.
AP reported it objectively, telling it from both sides. “In Manila, Jamalul Kiram III told reporters that he was worried the violence in Sabah might spread because many Filipinos are upset by the killing of their compatriots in Lahad Datu. His daughter, Jacel, who is a sultanate princess, stressed the sultanate would never back down from its struggle to reclaim Sabah. ‘This concerns honor above life’.”
