Bolkiah too busy for Sulu sultan

MANILA, Philippines - The Sultan of Brunei, who arrives in Manila today, has a full schedule in his state visit and may have no time to meet Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III over the Sabah crisis, Malacañang said.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said this yesterday amid the Sulu sultanate’s reported request for an audience with Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei.

Bolkiah’s forebears owned Borneo and gave North Borneo – now Sabah – to the Sultan of Sulu as a gift for helping quell a rebellion centuries ago.

“The schedule is quite tight. I don’t see any opportunity for that – or, at least, for the visit of the Sultan here,” Valte said over state-run radio dzRB when she was asked if the Palace would allow Bolkiah to meet Kiram over the Sabah standoff.

The sultanate of Sulu has expressed hope that Bolkiah’s visit will help in the peaceful resolution of the Sabah standoff. The sultanate sent a letter to the embassy of Brunei, requesting for a meeting with Bolkiah.

Abraham Idjirani, spokesman for Kiram, said the sultanate of Sulu is awaiting a reply from the Brunei embassy.

Bolkiah will be in Manila until tomorrow, reciprocating President Aquino’s visit to Brunei in June 2011.

Malacañang and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday the Sultan will meet Aquino to enhance the good diplomatic and bilateral relations between Brunei and the Philippines.

“During the state visit, the President and the Sultan will discuss, among others, Brunei’s chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as the strengthening of Philippines-Brunei bilateral relations,” the DFA said.

Bolkiah’s visit to the Philippines is set just weeks before Brunei’s hosting of the ASEAN summit in its capital Bandar Seri Begawan.

The DFA did not say if the two leaders would discuss common interests in the West Philippine Sea, where both the Philippines and Brunei have partial claims.

The Philippines and Brunei enjoy close relations. Brunei is host to around 21,000 overseas Filipino workers and Bolkiah has also supported development projects in Mindanao.

“Brunei is also our partner and fellow member in the International Monitoring Team, and they are also one of us in advocating a long and lasting peace in Southern Philippines,” Valte added.

Just last week, Philippine and Brunei officials met in Bandar Seri Begawan for the 2nd Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation. They discussed potential areas for further cooperation, including defense, agriculture, energy, trade and investments, business process outsourcing, education, labor, health and the possibility of employing Filipino medical professionals in Brunei, the DFA said. – With Perseus Echeminada