Sabah: A thorn in RP-Malaysia relations

I supported President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the last national elections, but there are foreign policy directions of her administration that are making me uncomfortable.

One is on her administration’s seeming coyness in tackling the Philippines’ Sabah claim. The other is on the way it is treating the issue of Filipino female workers in Japan who are called by the derogatory and demeaning term "japayukis." This column will deal with the first issue.

The deportation of Filipinos from Sabah is a development that is reopening a major thorn in Philippine-Malaysian relations. Unfortunately, the Philippine government is playing coy or worse, placing in the backburner the country’s Sabah claim, and claims for compensation of the heirs of the royal and commoner subjects of the Royal Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo. The President offers only tentative and palliative solutions and spiced statements through her Spokesperson that promise everything will be okay – just to alleviate the feelings of the Filipino deportees, and to soften the negative impact of the situation on her leadership.

This massive deportation of Filipinos from Sabah should be further studied and analyzed, especially at this time when Malaysia is brokering the GRP-MILF peace talks. Has the Philippine government studied or even considered the possible collateral damage to the Philippine Sabah claim of Malaysia’s action of deporting Filipinos from Sabah? And why the docile reaction of the Philippine government about this development?

This columnist is no diplomat or lawyer, but it is prudent to seek answers to questions that may be hypothetical – but nonetheless are relevant and pertinent to possible negative collateral implications on the Philippine Sabah claim, especially against the backdrop of Malaysia’s brokering the GRP-MILF peace talks.

It is ironic that the Philippine leadership is showing implicit admission that it will please Malaysia at all cost in exchange for brokering the GRP-MILF peace talks. Or is Malaysia overcharging the Philippines for its role as facilitator in the peace negotiation? Is the Philippines’ shrugging off of the claim on Sabah becoming the price for the success of the GRP-MILF peace talks?

And we hark back to the decision of President Arroyo to officially request Malaysia to "broker" the GRP-MILF peace talks; was this a wise decision when the Philippine Sabah claim is still on hold?

No one will ever know who recommended and convinced President Arroyo to seek Malaysia’s help over the other countries who are also interested and capable of helping facilitate the peace process, when the Philippines is very much embroiled in such an important and ticklish matter as the Philippine claim on Sabah.

The Philippines is undoubtedly in an awkward position in this regard. Who would think that our government’s action had not taken into consideration the present predicament of our people in Sulu who once were the owners of North Borneo – now Sabah?

Again, this columnist is no diplomat or lawyer, but it makes sense to interpret this turn of events as a sign that the Philippines will apparently do everything to please Malaysia in order to get an early GRP-MILF accord at whatever price tag Malaysia demands, as manifested in the administration’s unwritten or unannounced policy of placing the Philippine Sabah claim in the backburner.

Ironically, it was the late President Diosdado Macapagal – the father of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo – who initiated the Sabah claim in the ’60s.

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Tune in to The Master’s Touch, DZFE 98.7 for music by Muslim musicians from Mindanao, at 6 p.m. tonight over Bert Robledo’s Bravo Filipino program.

To be played will be Najib Ismail’s interpretation on CD of Manuel de Falla’s Night in the Gardens of Spain. Najib is a much sought-after concert pianist.

To be played will be the music of tenor Abdul Candao of Davao. Abdul, an operatic singer, is based in Vienna where he is making waves.

There will be kulintang music from Maguindanao to be rendered by kulintang master Aga Mayo Butocan.

For performances – in person – of these musicians, contact Bert Robledo, at tel. 7253996.

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You must get a copy of a music CD titled Gitara, Lapis, Atbp, which features the song Classroom 101. The song was written, and is sung, by Joey Ayala after he and another music man, Noel Cabangon, visited public elementary schools in Lanao and Marawi City through the initiative of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP). The song talks about why the education of Mindanao children suffers. It says teachers and students are "bullet proof" because they have learned to adapt to the lack of basic services and to the reality of poor learning conditions in schools such as leaking roofs, the dearth of textbooks, and the lack of classrooms.

In Joey’s down-to-earth style, he laments, Di ko yata maintindihan / Kung paano ka natutong magbasa / magbasa SA kadiliman / anong tawag sa subject na yan/ walang kuryente 101. He adds, Dito sa classroom mo / na iisa ang libro / habang kayo’y tatlumpo nagbabasa / dito sa classroom mo/ gumagawa ng paraan / laban sa kamangmangan.

One of Noel Cabangon’s songs in the CD tackles the aspirations of Mindanao children, their ability to learn, think and make their dreams come true. The piece is self-explanatory, titled Kung Kaya Mong Isipin, Kaya Mong Gawin.

Classroom 101 is part of the CD Gitara, Lapis, Atbp, which has 12 tracks, of which six were written and sung by Joey Ayala and another six by Noel Cabangon. The 12 pieces are original and newly arranged songs.

Proceeds of the sale of a CD will fund one-month’s worth of school needs for a pupil in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. For details, contact Ruth G. Honculada of PBSP, at 1918-9214709. E-mail: [email protected]