The Malaysian government — and not the government of Philippine President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III — is clearly on top of the Sabah crisis. After sending fighter jets to bomb positions in Sabah supposedly occupied by followers of the Sultanate of Sulu in what it considers to be a “police operation” yesterday, it has managed to twist the arm of Philippine foreign secretary Albert del Rosario into towing the Malaysian line in regarding the armed group as “terrorists”. The fate of the group was reportedly sealed following del Rosario’s meeting with Malaysian Foreign Affairs Minister Anifah Aman…
“Malaysia considers this group as terrorists following their atrocities and brutalities committed in the killing of Malaysia’s security personnel, two in Lahad Datu and six in Semporna, Sabah,” Anifah said.
“Secretary Rosario agreed that this group should be labelled as terrorists,” Anifah added.
He said Malaysia wanted to know what specific criminal charges that the “terrorists” will face in the Philippines.
Malaysia’s Attorney General also wants to study the charges to be filed in Manila against the supporters of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III.
Apparently, on top of all that, the Malaysian government will also be supervising the promised filing of criminal cases against Kiram and his followers.
[Photo courtesy The Power.]
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It has become quite clear what the real priorities of the Philippine government under the Second Aquino Administration really are:
(1) Campaigning for the Liberal Party ticket for the upcoming May elections to complete the Aquino-Cojuangco clan’s control of all branches of the government to ensure the security of Uncle Peping’s family jewels;
(2) Appeasing Kuala Lumpur, to ensure the completion of its pet project of selling Manila out to the (formerly) separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF); and (a distant last),
(3) Understanding Mindanao and addressing its key fundamental problems.
The Philippine government should on the onset of the crisis have at least sent a military mission or emissary to the intruders’ camp in Sabah to appraise their situation and establish a robust communication line with Manila. Had this small measure been established, the Philippines would have represented itself in Kuala Lumpur framed by a strong context relevant to its citizens in Mindanao. Indeed, Neil Cruz in an Inquirer.net article relays the hard questions many Filipinos are now asking: “What kind of government do we have that threatens its own citizens with lawsuits for asserting their right to their properties?” Furthermore…
President Aquino made a mistake in telling the sultan’s followers to “surrender and go home.” He used a wrong word. “Surrender” is a bad word to Muslims, especially to our Moros. I don’t think there is even an equivalent word in the Muslim vocabulary. Muslims would rather die than surrender.
It rings ominous: Muslims don’t surrender.
How all this is changing the way Filipino Muslims are regarding Manila is becoming a no-brainer. Given their long history of animosity towards anyone or any entity governing from Imperial Manila, it is very likely that any lines drawn between “groups” such as the MILF, the MNLF, and the Sulu Sultanate will soon be superseded by their more deeply-ingrained solidarity as a people with an identity that long pre-dates the relatively recent colonial notion of “the Philippines” (or, for that matter, “Malaysia”).
Perhaps, the writing is already on the wall. Habib Hashim Mudjahab, chairman of the MNLF Islamic Council Committee reported yesterday that “thousands” of fighters have started making their way from the Philippines to Sabah to join Filipino forces there…
“The naval blockade is of no use” he said, referring to a naval blockade by the Philippine navy and coast guard to ensure armed sympathisers do not join cross over to Sabah.
“President (Benigno) Aquino kept issuing statements favouring the Malaysians, which made our people agitated. The President must realise that it is about pride and honor, and our people are ready to sacrifice,” Mudjahab said.
Not surprising considering there are unconfirmed statistics floating around that Sabah is 70% populated by ethnic Tausugs who were (and perhaps remain) the feared warrior society that secured the once vast realm of the Sultanate of Sulu. The issue is therefore deep and complex. As former Senator Rene Saguisag points out, the issue should not be handled by “amateurs”…
This matter is not for amateurs or dilettantes. The well-meaning four-week amateurs who explain what they may not understand (or may not have a thorough understanding of) must be reinforced. We need to involve Fidel V. Ramos, Manang Letty Ramos-Shahani et al. Uncle Jovy Salonga is too sick.
Speaking of whom, Salonga who was part of Vice President Emmanuel Pelaez’s team dispatched to London in 1963 to negotiatr the Sabah brilliantly articulated the clear historical reference that frames the Philippines’ still-standing position on the matter…
Thousands of years ago, what is now known as the Philippines and what is known today as Borneo used to constitute a single historical, cultural, economic unit. Authoritative Western scientists have traced the land bridges that connected these two places. The inhabitants of the Philippines and Borneo come from the same racial stock, they have the same color, they have or used to have similar customs and traditions. Borneo is only 18 miles away from us today.
North Borneo, formerly known as Sabah, was originally ruled by the sultan of Brunei. In 1704, in gratitude for help extended to him by the sultan of Sulu in suppressing a revolt, the sultan of Brunei ceded North Borneo to the Sulu sultan.
Here, our claim really begins. Over the years, the various European countries, including Britain, Spain and the Netherlands, acknowledged the sultan of Sulu as the sovereign ruler of North Borneo. They entered into various treaty arrangements with him.
Perhaps the one lesson President BS Aquino III can learn from this “debacle” is how leaders respond to incursions into one’s territory, whether “legal” or not. If perhaps a Chinese warlord decided to sail to the Spratly Islands and do a Kiram, what would Manila do? Hint: Kuala Lumpur, is now Manila’s aspirational role model.
The plot thickens.
We as ordinary citizens far from the action in the south can only sit back in a Starbucks armchair along with the rest of the chattering classes who now consider the lip service they pay to “supporting” Kiram’s armed struggle the latest fashion statement, and simply find comfort in that deeply-ingrained wisdom imparted to us by the ABS-CBN “family”…
Abangan ang susunod na kabanata…
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
Months after pablo people are still struggling for food, medicines, and basic school supplies.
And, the organiser involved last week in dswd protest at food stockpiles not being distributed was murdered yesterday! – davao death squad strikes again!
And with p-noy due in davao today for a campaign sortie – sabah still not a priority – it is clear that the idea was/? still is for him to hand out relief goods to show what a caring and benevolent leader he is!! how disgusting are these people to play with lives in that way. Votes before food!
Hardly speaks of a civilised attitude or society, or its ability to manage without violence or demeaning people.
I think people in the south will be telling baldy to go back home and the rest of his pork barrel loving team.
DAR also creating legal obstacle for farmers to get land!!!
talk about hypocricy, self-interest and misplaced priorities
The crisis in Malaysian Borneo is an isolated incident so it won’t affect the campaign.
So that’s the edict from Truth Minister Ricky , Fishball? You know what’s not isolated? Ignorance from your yellow camp. On display all the time. By now you are wishing they just assigned you to be Bimby’s yaya.
right!
as if you know anything about politics. grow up
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/368883/sabah-standoff-wont-affect-team-pnoy-bets-poll-chances-drilon
You really are more idiotic than i thought.
Of course the campaign manager would say that.
So brainless believes it!
No independent thought or analysis!
What a sucker you are.
Fodder for your superiors.
Live in fantasy land in the day and sleep in sh!t at night.
Bye, bye little boy
But he has a point, the incident is in Malaysia, which the government have no longer control.
Eduardo, you and I both know that story is just premature eRickyulation. Besides you are asking wrong question. It’s not if campaign is affecting the crisis but if the crisis is affecting the campaign. Troll harder.
EDUARDO, as time goes by here in GRP, you IQ gets lower and lower and I think now yours is equal to your supreme leader. You are more concerned about the election rather than the treat to our national security. Your still living in LaLa Land, and only believes what your supreme leader says. Which reminds me, Does the National Mental Health Center allows its patients to access the internet?
Panes et circenses… only this circus is rather bloody.
/facepalm
I hope the followers of self-proclaimed Sultan of Sulu Jamalul Kiram III surrender to Malaysia without condition and resolve this issue peacefully. This is what His Excellency want to happen based on his legacy not to use arms in handling negotiations with groups.
BS Aquino’s legacy is putting the interest of a select few over the good of the country. He doesn’t care whether the country crumbles as long as he can use propaganda to hide his destructive shortcomings.
Dole-outs and propaganda, Felipe. Panes et circenses. To the Yellows, Luisita is the only thing that matters–let Kiram and co’y burn.
It is already clear that your precious “leader” has already betrayed our fellow countrymen by allowing the malaysians to slaughter them. Your attempts to protect aquino are futile. Your cause is a hopeless cause.
Troll harder eduardo, your president’s future is becoming bleak.
But Aquino is already out of the Hacienda, and the SC has decided to distribute HL land to it’s farmers. You are just making His Excellency look bad.
Jeez eduardo. Are you also suffering from the same mental disease that your precious pwesident suffered since 1979?
“But Aquino is already out of the Hacienda, and the SC has decided to distribute HL land to it’s farmers.”
More LIES and obfuscation.
In mid-2012, it was reported that the Department of Budget and Management cut the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) request for a PhP30-billion allocation around P18 billion and removed another PhP4.9 billion in support services. DAR officials said the department was being dismantled in preparation for the end of the CARP. This effectively removes the implementing agency that is supposed to redistribute the Hacienda Luisita land before the Supreme Court ruling is put into effect. In other words everything stays the same. Hacienda Luisita stays with the current landlord for as long as there is no alternative to CARP.
> Eduwagdo, you’re a world-class moron, an apologist to grand stupidity.
Wrong, the DFA secretary did not label the followers of self-proclaimed Sultan of Sulu Jamalul Kiram III as terrorists but labelled the invasion of Malaysian Borneo as “acts of terrorism”.
I dont think you even read the news simply type what you are told, but if that is simply lies it puts you at the bottom of the food chain and a traitor to the country and to truth. Pathetic.
“MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Philippine Foreign Affairs
Secretary Albert del Rosario agreed with Malaysian authorities that
the followers of the Sultanate of Sulu who occupied parts of Sabah
should be called “terrorists,” the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs said Tuesday night.
In a statement published onlin e following del Rosario’s meeting
with his counterpart, Anifah Aman, the Malaysian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs also said del Rosario vowed that the Philippine
government will file criminal cases against those involved in the
Lahad Datu and Semporna incidents “to the fullest extent of the law
in the Philippines.”
“Malaysia considers this group as terrorists following their atrocities
and brutalities committed in the killing of Malaysia’s security
personnel, two in Lahad Datu and six in Semporna, Sabah,” Anifah
said.
“Secretary Rosario agreed that this group should be labelled as
terrorists,” Anifah added.”
Abs-cbn and PDI
Libertas,
What this buffoon eduardo is referring to is the statement del rosario made that Kiram’s acts were “at the very least terroristic” as per ABS-CBN.
“Secretary Rosario agreed that this group should be labelled as
terrorists,†Anifah added.â€
Abs-cbn and PDI
Libertas,
Although I loathe giving credence to anything this unabashed, noynoying apologist says, this is the news item eduardo was referring to:
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/03/05/13/del-rosario-approved-terrorist-tag-intruders-malaysia
If you scroll down to the section entitled “DFA: ‘Terroristic,’ not ‘terrorist’ tag” you’ll find the Aquino administration’s pathetic attempt at spin control. The DFA says in an email to ABS-CBN:
“In Semporna, there were alleged acts of terrorism. As reported by the Malaysian Foreign Minister, after the police forces were lured into an ambush and killed, their bodies were brutally mutilated and desecrated. If indeed these atrocities were committed as reported to him, the Secretary and the Foreign Minister both agreed that these were, at the very least, terroristic acts.”
Idiot, that is the statement foreign minister of Malaysia. Go find the DFA sect statement, lazy scum.
ah so malaysia is lying now.
you people trip up over your own constant lies, conspiracy theories and backtracking.
what is it like to be so dumb and so used, and uncouth.
and not care for your country or its people
No, the secretary just said what is the country’s stand in this chaos.
Oh, you’re calling us names now? What’s the matter? Too dumb to come up with a snappy comeback?
iiyak na yan
iiyak na yan..
TROLL HARDER
LOL, you’re losing your nuts and bolts? Many here at GRP are countering your Yellow Propaganda with facts.
So who’s the lazy scum? Of course the President himself. 😛
So our government have put salt to the old wounds done by the Marcos administration since the Jabidah massacre. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
We should have not backed down but insist on negotiations that favored the true owners of the land. By the way, Tausugs are inhabitants of Sabah yes, why can they have not a say on this?
Stop trying to obfuscate the issue you disingenuous poltroon!
The fact of the matter is that your president failed to protect Filipino citizens and made us subservient to the policies of a foreign entity. It’s the equivalent of TREASON in the face of what is shaping up to become a small war.
Matitigas nga kasi ang ulo ni kiram at mga tagasunod ni Kiram. The government had no choice.
Your president had a choice when he decided to give away the sultanate to a terrorist with the blessing of Malaysia without bothering to talk to the sultan.
There is no legitimate Sultan of Sulu.
“There is no legitimate Sultan of Sulu.”
Ows? Talaga? Saan mo nakuha yan? Sa likod ng cereal box?
HAHAHAHAHAHA!
eduardo’s shift is over now.
he has gone back to mummy for breast feeding
Hmm, maybe he’s a punch clock retard of some sort? Or he’s too stupid to think of any snappy comebacks.
If you ever doubt for one second out that the general direction in GRP is wrong, well just look at the quality or lack thereof of the trolls. That is the best the Yellow Army can come up with. No one who is employable in the real world. They can’t hire somebody who can even feign intelligence and rationale.
True since at this point, the yellow army is clearly running out of ammo against GRP. They tend to recycle every single thing that they come up with like accusing us of being Pro gma and using the blame gma card. Unfortunately for them, those things won’t be able to save their beloved “leader” once he falls from power.
“There is no legitimate Sultan of Sulu.”
Again eduardo LIES.
The Sulu government lists the succession of the Sultanate of Sulu going back to 1390. This includes Jamalul Kiram III and Ismail Kiram II. As Sulu is part of the Administrative Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the province and the sultanate are due the recognition and service of the national government as citizens of the Philippines.
I believe that all eduardo can do at this point is to lie, lie and lie. He has run out of ammo yet again. A lame-ass tactic for a lame-ass troll like eduardo. Too bad that his attempts at protecting aquino are futile since a lot of filipinos are getting really really pissed off at aquino’s noynoying on the sabah issue which is clearly part of our country.
Q: Ilang alyas na yung nagamit ni eduardo sa GRP?
A: Kasing dami ng mga kaibigan ko. Sa sobrang dami po nila, wala na po akong maalala.
Q: How many eduardos does it take to change a light bulb?
A: None. They prefer to remain in the dark.
Johnny, it almost is non sportsmanlike to be making jokes about a joke. But somethings in life can’t be helped.
Well, I can’t help it if eduardo’s such a stupid sack of sh*t.
Eduardo goes to the doctor.
‘Doctor, i have this obsession about p-noy. Can you help?’
‘Well, first you must stop masturbating so that i can examine you’
Welcome to the Showbusiness of Philippine politics. 😐
Are you talking about Gloria Arroyo?
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/56415/gloria-arroyo-son-dato-charged-with-p676-m-plunder
I hope that after she gets treated in the hospital, she must immediately be transferred to a high-profile prison in Muntinlupa.
Case against Gloria recently dismissed
http://ph.news.yahoo.com/dismissal-plunder-case-vs-gma-affirmed-185031519.html
That case which you are referring to will share the same fate of the cases that were dismissed.
TROLL HARDER
^^^ nako Johnny, si Benigno na bahala jan. Time to press the Eject button. Walang cuenta kausap pag nakailang alias na
Very vindictive and very malicious comment.
Wow, that’s very off-topic.
Off topic as usual since eduardo is running out of ammunition.
2012
Lose Scarborough Shoal to China.
2013
Lose Sabah to Malaysia.
2014
Lose Mindanao to Bangsamoro.
2015
Lose Visayas to Cebu Republic.
2016
Regain Hacienda Luisita from the farmers.
“2015
Lose Visayas to Cebu Republic.”
I’ll invoke my Right to Return in that case. 😀
Terroristic ” an act committed by terrorists”
The timeline simply shows rosario trying to backtrack and cover his ass, and p-noy trying to excuse his shame
all roads still lead to a malacanan balls-up
He may look like an idiot and talk like an idiot but don’t let
that fool you. He really is an idiot .
― Groucho Marx
teaching a pig to sing is easier than teaching a cult member to exercise free will
Did I not say that the worst is yet to come? Watch out for an orange communist coup and purging maybe summer of 2013.
Fallen Angel,
Talk about priorities. I think this news article sums up how much gov’t values these people in Sabah:
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/03/06/916471/kirams-lost-letter-found-dfa
Emm, brianitus,
benign0 wrote this, not me.
And of course, the government expects the Sulu sultanate’s men to believe that it was an “oversight”. Who the hell are these people trying to fool, anyway?
I’ll do a Del Rosario and claim oversight on this one.
Sorry, benign0. 😉
I don’t know if it’s just me but this sort of sums up what the gov’t said in the last 2 days:
1. Lacierda (in his presscon): Don’t say we didn’t warn you, we’re not backing you on this one.
2. Del Rosario – Oops, my bad.
3. Pnoy – “I just don’t know what went wrong”
@gogs
That is so right and so telling.
No intellect from the leadership down. No ideologies, no passion, no vision etc. Just a motley crew of non-achievers and followers who have a lower IQ than my room temperature. A need to belong to something and cling together trying to take vicarious benefit from…what, i don’t know.
It is just appalling that a country has such little intellect, and it does not help that all the reports/strategy/thinking etc is done by US companies, especially mckinseys and accenture.
What is the first thing you do when you start a client assignment?
Confirm the brief.
Wrong!
See how you can extend the brief and milk the cash cow
People would be staggered at the hourly rates charged and just how many consultants are employed.
But no FoI, naturally, so all is hidden.
Could this be why BS Aquino doesn’t want to oppose Malaysia?
http://www.hydrocarbonprocessing.com/Article/2959741/Philippines-Petron-to-invest-in-ExxonMobil-Malaysia-downstream-operations.html