Kris-Crossing Mindanao
The dollars and sense of it
By Noralyn MustafaAt no time since its foundation in the 15th century has the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo been so much in the news.
At no time since its foundation in the 15th century has the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo been so much in the news.
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.
Once upon a time there were kings and sultans. They were absolute monarchs. They were sovereign. They owned the land. They knighted nobles or named datus to whom they parceled out their lands in exchange for service in times of war and revolution, and in times of peace. Now, it is the people who are [...]
There is a touch of irony in the fighting in Sabah where Malaysian forces, using eight fighter jets, laser-guided bombs, artillery and hundreds of troops, have failed to subdue a handful of Filipino Muslims from Sulu.
This has reference to Prof. Randy David’s “Who owns Sulu?” column (Inquirer, 2/24/13). I am neither a Tausug nor a Muslim. Neither am I a scholar on the history of the Sultanate of Sulu.
In what appeared to be an impromptu interview, President Aquino last Thursday spoke of his apprehensions over the tense situation that has developed in the wake of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III’s decision to send his “royal army” to reclaim Sabah as part of the Sulu “homeland.” Asked about his position on the country’s dormant claim to sovereignty over Sabah, the President deftly avoided making any explicit statement on the issue, saying that his Cabinet was still compiling the data and studying the documents.
Based on intelligence reports, a large number of new policemen, even senior officers, in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao—specifically in Lamitan, Basilan, Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao, Patikul, Sulu—are hooked on prohibited drugs, including shabu. Civilians are flabbergasted to see these policemen frequently visiting drug dens even in broad daylight. Director General Nicanor Bartolome of the [...]
“The work of barbarians” was how an Inquirer headline (quoting a Navy officer) described the beheading of five of seven Marines killed in a battle with Abu Sayyaf elements in Sulu some weeks ago. Twenty-five other Marines were wounded in the clash, and public reaction to the killings was swift in condemning the atrocities of [...]
