The heirs of the Sultanate of Sulu legally possess PROPRIETARY RIGHTS to Sabah!

SABBAH AY SAKOP NG PILIPINAS!

Sultan Jamalul Kiram (center) during the American occupation

Pre-colonial - The Sultanate of Sulu was one of the most powerful governments in the region, extending its diplomatic relations as far as China.

1700s - The Sultan of Sulu sent Tausug warriors in support of the Sultan of Brunei's fight against a rebellion in Borneo. In gratitude, the Sultan of Brunei gave North Borneo (what is now known as Sabah) to the Sultan of Sulu.

1878 - The Sultan of Sulu signs an agreement with a private firm called the British North Borneo Companyunder Alfred Dent and Baron von Overbeck to allow the company the use of North Borneo (Sabah).

This is where the problem started when the understanding of the provision got lost in translation.

The British version of the contract stated that the Sultan of Sulu agreed to “grant and cede” North Borneo(Sabah) for the sum of $5,000 a year. The Tausug version of the contract stated that the land was only being LEASED to the British North Borneo Company.

The Malay word "Padjak" in the contract, which was supposed to mean to lease, was taken out of context and got lost in translation.

As written by then Congressman Jovito R. Salonga, Manila Times, Manila Chronicle, Philippines Free Press -May, 1962.*:

"One group of heirs of the Sultan of Sulu submitted a certified translation of a Spanish text of the agreement, dated January 4, 1878, which inturn is a translation of the original in Arabic. Under this document, the Sultan of Sulumerely concluded a contract of lease with Baron de Overbeck and Alfred Dent, and granted to Mr. Overbeck the title of "Datto Padajara Rajah de Sandakan" as long as he might live, with the right to levy taxes on the said land, exploit its ores, forest products and animals, administer justice and collect dues and taxes from the traders of said towns.There are also in the files of the Department of Foreign Affairs several English translations (Conklin translation; Saleeby translation on the "History of Sulu" pp. 225-233; Decision of High Court of Borneo citing translation in "Treaties and Engagements affecting the Malay States," by Maxwell and Gibson), which invariably use the terms "lease,'' "cede"and "grant."*

1946 - The British North Borneo Company transferred and ceded rights, powers, and interests to the British Crown, which was known as the British Cession Order of July 15, 1946.

1958 - "...the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu issued a proclamation declaring the termination of the lease contract over the territory in question effective January 22, 1958. This declaration was served on the British Government. Since then, the heirs have made claims upon the British Government for the return of the territory, but their claims have been disregarded"* (Jovito R. Salonga, Manila Times, Manila Chronicle, Philippines Free Press -May, 1962.)

1962 - Sultan Esmail Kiram I ceded SOVEREIGNTY RIGHTS to the REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES on September 12, 1962 as well witnessed by President Diosdado Macapagal. The Philippine government was given the legal right to pursue claims in international courts but none was pursued after the Macapagal and Marcos administration.

1963 - The British government ceded Sabah to the Malaysian government through a device of a referendum. As per corregidor.org: "The integrity of the referendum was a matter of significant debate, for claims arose that Malaysia had stage-managed a semblance referendum, utilizing and bribing some Moro leaders from Sulu and Tawi-Tawi to represent the “political” interest of Sabah and Mindanao." The Philippines broke diplomatic relations with Malaysia after the federation have included "Sabah".

1967 - "Operation Merdeka" (Operation Freedom) was conceived. The mission was to destablize Sabah through theJabidah commando unit. The unit was composed of young Tausug and Badjao recruits who weren't privy of the mission of armed secession of Sabah from Malaysia.

1968 - The young recruits secretly training at Corregidor island eventually learned of the mission and demanded to be discharged. Eventually, a mutiny rose against the planned killing their fellow Muslims and relatives living in Sabah. As much as 60 Tausug and Badjao recruits were executed by machine gun by their military handlers. It was then condemned by media as the "Jabidah Massacre".

Military personnel were court-martialled but no justice was ever mete.

The legacy of the Jabidah massacre is the volatile situation in Mindanao and Sabah, that led to the lament and exodus of many of our Bangsa Moro brothers and sisters

2010 - Sultan Jamalul Kiram III sent a letter President Benigno Aquino III "asking to be consulted on the peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front."

Recently, Aquino admitted that the letter got 'lost in the maze'of bureaucracy: "Let me say to Sultan Jamalul Kiram III: I have just been made aware that a letter to me, from you, was sent through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process in the very first weeks of my term, when we were organizing the government. Unfortunately, this letter was lost in the bureaucratic maze," Aquino said

2013 - 300 Filipinos claiming to be "“Royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo” is holed up in the seaside village of Tanduao in Lahad Datu town, where they landed in speedboats on Feb. 12 after crossing the sea from Simunul Island in the Philippine province of Tawi-Tawi.

Their leader, Rajah Mudah Agbimuddin Kiram, brother of a descendant of the sultan of Sulu, claimed that he and his group, Tausug like most residents of Sabah, were returning to their “homeland” and demanded that they be recognized as the Sulu sultanate’s royal army and not be deported from the territory."

The heirs of the Sultanate of Sulu legally possess PROPRIETARY RIGHTS to Sabah, and the REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES legally possess SOVEREIGNTY RIGHTS over Sabah.

The Sabah issue highlights the lack of political will prevalent in our government, worse we just keep on empowering the same impotent politicians.

Delusional to the image of Fiesta Philippines, most are, when it was never a fiesta for the many displaced Tausugs and Badjaos.

"A PEOPLE DESERVE THE GOVERNMENT THEY PERMIT!"