THE PHILIPPINE SABAH & SPRATLY CLAIMS

In picture: San Andres Ziga (with glasses) with Doy Laurel, Arturo Tolentino, Jovy Salonga, Eva Estrada kalaw and Ninoy Aquino, Senator Salonga (seated extreme right)

Many of President Aquino's friends and supporters argue that Ph cannot discount the fact that Sabah had a referendum in 1962-63 and that they voted to be federated to Kuala Lumpur's "Malaysia Federation" in September 1963 which they think was the Sabahanos' vote for self-determination. 

Really? Sabahan self-determination in 1962? Really? Think Garci or the "Garcified" Sabah referendum of 1962 and Senator Sumulong (uncle of President Cory and grand uncle to President NoyNoy). Senator Sumulong championned Malaya's Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman cause against the Philippine Sabah Claim -- and you will realise that the claim suffered in the hands of anti-Filipinos.

Senator Sumulong fought against the Philippine Sabah claim in 1962 by siding with the British and by praising the "vision" of Tunku Abdul Rahman, the leader of then Malaya (which was not yet Malaysia) Federation. Senator Salonga rose to the occasion and said the following in his point-by-point to Senator Sumulong's attack against the Philippine Sabah claim. 

Senator Salonga said:

"In short, the good Senator [Sumulong] would have us tell the world we are abandoning our claim, let Malaya take over North Borneo under the so-called Malaysia Federation, then ask for a referendum in North Borneo to ascertain what the North Borneans want. This, to my mind, is a proposal so naive it does not do justice to the reputation of the distinguished Senator or to the depth and range of his studies. In the first place, a Federation plan need not be approved by the United Nations. In the second place, a sophisticated study of the results of a plebiscite under the circumstances set forth by the distinguished Senator (and having in mind the plebiscites that have already been held, where there was indeed no choice but to say “yes” to what the British and Malayans wanted) forecloses the kind of result that will be achieved. For so long the North Borneans have been under British tutelage; the Malaysia plan is British-conceived, British-inspired and British-sponsored; Malaya is raring to take over a territory whose native inhabitants, according to the Cobbold Report, have a low level of education and political consciousness and who were ready to agree to the Malaysia proposals “although they were not fully understood.” Now, what kind of free elections does the Senator expect to witness in North Borneo?

"In fine, the Senator would have the Republic launch a program of defeat — born of fear and doubt and timidity. I cannot agree to such a plan of action."

NB: In his 1963 SONA, President Macapagal described the Sabahans as the "enlightened Sabahans"; I laughed aloud when I read his speech for the first time because at the time I remember my father who had been going to Sabah regularly since the early 50s Sabah used to say that in the 50s and the 60s, Sabah was as backward as the backwaters of the deep Amazon jungles in terms of Western or Asian education that to describe the citizens of Sabah then as "enlightened" was, I thought quite frankly, almost sarcastic... Senator Salonga's reference to them in this speech of his was more accurate, quite more on the mark, i.e., "Malaya is raring to take over a territory whose native inhabitants, according to the Cobbold Report, have a low level of education and political consciousness and who were ready to agree to the Malaysia proposals “although they were not fully understood.”" 

So to those who think and are convinced that the Sabahans voted for self-determination and to be annexed to Malaya Federation in a plebiscite in 1963, they must think Garci! The whole so-called Sabah referendum for self-determination was 'Garcified'!

http://www.tallanofdn.com/OCT_T-01-4.pdf

http://philippinelaw.info/statutes/act496-land-registration-act.html