Crisis from North to South

One of the biggest challenges faced by this administration is in the international front, particularly the territorial dispute with China and now the sultanate of Sulu’s claim over North Borneo, the name by which Sabah was known even before the creation of the Federation of Malaysia. No one can dispute the competence of our Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario as the country’s top diplomat, but nonetheless, the administration should consult with or get advice from local experts on history and international law to get a better perspective of the status of the Philippines’ claim over Sabah.

While there may be conflicting versions on the issue — for instance whether the yearly amount being paid by the government of Malaysia to the heirs of the Sulu Sultanate is “rent” or “cession fee” — a lot of experts point to the historic documentation that verify the Kiram family’s claim of ownership, believing these could stand scrutiny should the government decide to elevate the issue before the International Court of Justice or any international adjudication body, much like what the Aquino administration did by elevating before the UN International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) the sovereignty dispute with China.

The situation in Lahad Datu with 14 reported fatalities as of this writing has already triggered international attention, with major media outfits like the BBC carrying the deadly clash between Malaysian forces and the men of Sultan Jamalul Kiram. It would seem that the country is faced with two critical fronts from “North to South,” so to speak, with regard to foreign policy — the escalating situation in North Borneo that could have wide ranging and long-term implications on the peace process in the South.

Ironically, it was the “Jabidah massacre” in 1968 that became a catalyst to the decades-long rebellion in Mindanao. In fact, it was Senator Ninoy Aquino who exposed “Operation Merdeka” — a covert plan by the Marcos government to stake its claim and annex Sabah by force. Some 200 mostly Tausug Muslims from Sulu and Tawi-Tawi were recruited and came to be known as the Jabidah unit. In the course of the training however, the recruits discovered the true purpose of their mission — triggering a mutiny when the trainees realized they could be fighting their own relatives and fellow Muslims in Sabah. The result: the Jabidah massacre according to a sole survivor who said the troops were systematically gunned down by their training commanders.

Senatorial candidate Dick Gordon was quick to seize the opportunity and criticize the handling of the situation in Lahad Datu, saying a bloody encounter could have been avoided and should never have happened if the issue was handled more carefully. Gordon also questioned the seeming failure of intelligence, with no one apparently knowing that a big number of Muslim Filipinos was headed to Sabah — putting us on a “slippery slope” on the Sabah issue.

Judging from the online comments on social networking sites like Facebook, there are people who want a more “aggressive” response from the administration, feeling that government has a better chance of staking its claim in Sabah compared to the Spratlys/South China Sea dispute with the Chinese. Filipinos are very emotional and more often than not, personal differences are set aside when a common issue or enemy is faced. And so it would seem that this is the case even with some non-Muslim members of the online community, with a significant number critical of the government’s handling of the crisis.

This online sentiment is also fueled by the perception that the administration totally ignored the Kiram family’s attempt to seek guidance, or at the very least, give attention regarding the Sabah claim and elevate the issue to ASEAN and other international forums. Not surprisingly, some Filipinos want to see some heads roll — in particular the Muslim Affairs official who decided to “discard” crown prince Agbimuddin Kiram’s June 2010 letter to President Aquino. According to reports, Sultan Jamalul Kiram himself followed up with two more letters but allegedly feeling ignored, his followers decided to take the claim to the “occupy Sabah” extreme.

But this whole situation couldn’t have come at the worst time as we are in the middle of the peace process in Mindanao, and of course needless to say, our current dispute with China. I agree with the administration’s cautious moves on this problem because we simply cannot afford to be confrontational at this point. More bloodshed could bring the situation to a “point of no return,” closing the path towards a peaceful resolution that could help advance not just the Philippine government’s position but the claim of the Sultanate of Sulu on the island of Sabah.

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Many Filipino Catholics are praying to see Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle occupy the throne of Peter and become the leader of the 1.2 billion Catholics all over the world. The Philippines will undoubtedly become the center of worldwide attention.

We can only imagine the impact of a Filipino pope in a country distinguished for having the largest Catholic population in Asia. Over the years, the influence of the Roman Church has decreased since the time of President Cory, when Jaime Cardinal Sin was the prime adviser of Mrs. Aquino. If Cardinal Tagle becomes the next pope — his influence in the country will be enormous. It will be like having a monarch wielding considerable power and moral ascendancy over more than 80 percent of the Philippine population. For many Catholics, a Filipino pope would be divine providence and a blessing — but for some people, it could pose a problem. The separation of Church and State will be almost non-existent.

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