Reports said Malacañang suspects the national security adviser of Gloria Arroyo, Norberto Gonzales, as behind the sabotage.
It is easily believable because Gonzales has deep network in Muslim Mindanao and is close to Nur Misuari, the leader of another disgruntled group, the Moro National Liberation Front.
Gonzales and Misuari’s partnership go back a long way to their special operations training days in Malaysia during the 1960’s.
When Misuari staged a rebellion in 2001. Gonzales was known to have exerted influence to allow the former governor of the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao to be placed under house arrest. The case was eventually dismissed.
There are intelligence reports that Gonzales and his Jesuit priest friend have been meeting with some sectoral leaders and talking about “a revolutionary situation” under Aquino.
If Gonzales has a hand in the Sabah stand off, could Gloria Arroyo be far behind? Remember Jamalul Kiram III was in the senatorial ticket of the Arroyo administration in 2007?
If it’s true that the Sabah stand off is an act of sabotage, not only of the peace talks with the MILF, but to embarrass President Aquino who is riding high in popularity surveys, the instigators achieved their objective. Aquino fell into their trap.
Imagine telling the Sultan and his followers asserting their right over their property in the hands of Malaysia that it is a “hopeless cause.”
It has been a series of snubs for Kiram III starting with the spurning of his request for a meeting with Aquino made at the start of the administration in 2010. Aquino said the letter was lost in the “bureaucractic maze.”
The administration officials condescending attitude towards the Kiram III and his followers is also reflected in their comments. When told about Kiram III’s complaint that he was not given a good seat during the signing of the preliminary peace agreement between the Philippine government and the MILF October last year, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda remarked that he, himself, had no seat.
Why,is he also royalty like the Sultan? Why did he even have to insert himself into the picture?
Another official who should be told to think twice or thrice before he opens his mouth on this issue is Police Chief Alan Purisima.
Aquino wants those in the Sabah standoff to return home before he talks with Kiram III. This Purisima threatens to arrest those people. He said:“Kung may dala-dala silang armas na babalik din sa atin that is illegal possession of firearms and puwede silang arestuhin because the crime is being committed in the presence of the law enforcers.”
Kiram III made more sense with his reply, “Huhulihin pa kami at mga taong ibabalik.What kind of government is this?”
Oo nga naman, bakit sila uuwi ay huhulihin pala sila.
“hopeless cause.” – Malaysia celebrates, they got what they wanted from Pnoy!
In response to Purisima’s pea-brained threat: “Kiram III said, “Huhulihin pa kami at mga taong ibabalik. What kind of government is this?”
Oo nga naman, bakit sila uuwi ay huhulihin pala sila. -Ellen
Muntik na ako mahulog sa bangko, hahaha!
Nag-complain daw si Kiram III na “he was not given a good seat during the signing of the preliminary peace agreement between the Philippine government and the MILF, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda remarked that he, himself, had no seat.”
Why, is he also a royalty like the Sultan? Why did he even have to insert himself into the picture?- Ellen
Oo nga, may korona din ba si Lacierda?
Grabe comedy ng Palasyo, hahaha!
Si Kiram ‘lang pala’ ang magpapaikot at katapat ng kaarogantehan nyo. Talaga naman ang mga uhugin sa palasyo, hahaha!
Let’s see how the tinatahing conspiracy theory ends. Magkakasama kaya sa preso si Jamalul, Norberto at Gloria? 🙂
Ellen, thanks very much for this article, enjoy ako.
Thanks, Chi. I almost used the description that you used for Purisima. Thanks for using that. There’s a synonym for that. Five letters, starts with M and last letter is N.
Softer pa nga gamit ko, yun talaga, Ellen… hahaha!
Why, is he also a royalty like the Sultan?
Meron bang royalty sa atin republika. Parang nabasa ko na bawal yan sa ilalim ng ating constitution.
Pero Kiram can call himself a sultan. He can consider himself royalty if he wants. And anyone who wants to treat him like a king is free to do so. Meron naman tayong freedom of speech kaya pwede din binyagan ni Pacquiao yun anak niya ng Queen Elizabeth.
What kind of government is this? It is a government that will not tolerate misguided adventurers putting the country in a delicate international situation.
Here’s another sultan of sulu.
http://sabahkini.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17728:flag-burning-sultan-says-sulu-army-fake&catid=40:laporan-khas&Itemid=49
Under Aquino admin, going home is a crime?
POSTSCRIPT By Federico D. Pascual Jr. (The Philippine Star)
WHAT?: Sultan Jamalul Kiram III of Sulu could not believe it — that going home has become a crime under the regime of President Noynoy Aquino.
Kiram, the 74-year-old Sulu chief, had sent some 235 of his constituents led by his brother Datu Raja Muda Agbimuddin to go home to a village by the shore of Lahad Datu in Sabah.
Why there? “And why not?” the sultan riposted, pointing out that Sabah is their ancestral home.
Finally noticing the two-week-old worsening standoff, President Aquino has advised Kiram to order his followers, some of them armed, to pull out of Sabah or “face the consequences.”
But the sultan, talking to media in his house in Taguig City, said they were staying home.
– See more at: http://www.philstar.com/opinion/2013/02/28/914078/under-aquino-admin-going-home-crime#sthash.m9zj3xBm.dpuf
—
Grabe, enjoy na enjoy ako sa isyu na ito! 🙂
@7 and to think about it…A Canadian has to Renounce his Citizenship if he wants to become a member of the Royal Family and to think it Further, Canada head of State is the Queen…yes, in l920 a resolution authored by MP Nickel, hence a Nickel resolution requesting the throne that no Peerage or Royal Title be granted or conferred to the British Subject in Canada as it is not in concert to the kind of democratic society Canada aspiring for..it was not refused nor granted and a few peerages were granted…but in a Case of PM Cretien Vs. Conrad Black, when the Queen E II conferred the Peerage to Conrad Black the Lord of CrossHarbour, the PM demanded that he renounce his Canadian citizenship if he accept the Lordship..Lord Black went to Court and Lost, under the Equality Rights provision…so when Mr. Black was convicted of Fraud in the US, he can not avail of the Exchange Prisoner agreement with Canada, (in which he can apply for parole after serving 1/3 and mandatory parole after serving 2/3, but served his full sentence in the US Federal Prison…and now he is in the process of getting stripped off his Order of Canada medal, the Highest civilian award for lifetime contribution to Canada…By TREATY signed with the Government, our First Nations Tribes still have the CHIEFS (also known as Native Indians)and within their reservations, they can have as many Firearms for their Hunting..well anyone can have as many anyways…
What’s inside Kiram’s lost letter to Aquino
newsinfo.inquirer.net/366817/whats-inside-kirams-lost-letter-to-aquino
Bukod sa first letter noong 2010 na na-lost in transmission, sinundan pa ito ni Kiram 111 ng follow up letter kay Pnoy 2011 at 2012.
Napakaliit ng tingin nila sa mga Kiram/heirs ng Sabah at tatlong sulat lahat lost in transmission at translation. Sino ang mga morons na nagtapon ng letters?
http://www.newsinfo.inquirer.net/366817/whats-inside-kirams-lost-letter-to-aquino
#7
Yeah. It is a gov’t that talks down on a relatively obscure group while giving the royal treatment to bandits-cum-freedom fighters who savagely maim and kill our soldiers and civilians, even granting them a piece of our national territory.
#13
Baliktad. It is a relatively obscure group, to use your description, demanding out of size attention from the government.
By the way, there are several who claim to be sultans of sulu including one who lives in sabah. All of them self-proclaimed.
Tapos na ang laban, panalo na Malaysia!
mb, yes all of the claimants are self-proclaimed no back up of the Ruma Bechara (council). Pero si Jamalul Kiram 111 ang recognized ng Pinas gov’t.
Sad to hear what’s going on in Sabah…Hindi naman mga terrorists Ang mga kirams in my view. All the government do is wash their hands and blame the kirams who just wanted to negotiate. Meron pala dila ginagawa…..monitor the situation! Protect your own citizens!
At pamilya din ni Jamalul Kiram 111 ang pinadadalhan ng Malaysia ng annual rent na about P70,000.
Tinaasan na pala ng Malaysia ang rent nila, last time I saw the receipt FVR’s time aroung P50,000 kada taon lang. Susmio, malaki pa allowance ko taon-taon. 🙂
#17. I should say, ipinakain ng buhay ng sariling lider ang mamamayan nito!
Our government is WRONG here. They know it! Lalo na ngayon me namamatay! Well I guess it’s easy to blame the kirams and monitor the situation instead of engaging the Malaysians with a dialogue.
olan, 1000% agree ako sa sinabi mo.
I once asked Abe (Ibrahim Idjirani) that in case Sabah was reclaimed, who would own it, they or the Phil? Sagot sa akin ay siempre Pilipinas kasi Pilipino kami. Administrative lang daw ang sa kanila.
Sulu sultan spokesman: 10 men killed in Sabah
By Dennis Carcamo (philstar.com) | Updated March 1, 2013 – 1:28pm
– See more at: http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/03/01/914610/sulu-sultan-spokesman-10-men-killed-sabah#sthash.dQGCUv3Q.dpuf
—
Sasantuhin ba sila ng Malaysia lalo at tuping-tupi si Noynoy. Afterall, halos limot na rin nila ang Ampatuan massacre. Same ol same ol!
An interesting read. Accurate or not, I dunno.
http://www.quezon.ph/2013/03/01/north-borneo-sabah-an-annotated-timeline-1640s-present/
Malacañang says they are sad with happened in Sabah:
Statement of Presidential Communications and Strategic Planning Secretary Ramon A. Carandang on the situation in Lahad Datu, Sabah
We are saddened upon hearing reports, confirmed by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, that ten to twelve Filipinos and two Malaysians died as the Kiram family and their followers clashed with Malaysian authorities in Lahad Datu, Sabah. We condole with the families of those who were lost.
Since the onset, our primary goal had been to resolve the situation without violence. That is why President Aquino urged the followers of the Kiram family to lay down their arms and return home, so that their grievances can be addressed through sober, productive dialogue.
There now exists a small window of opportunity to arrive at a peaceful conclusion to the situation in Lahad Datu; we are exerting every effort to seize that opportunity, and are hopeful that the Kiram family and their followers will seize it with us, so that further bloodshed may be avoided.
When Pnoy warned the Kirams in no terms and conditions, announced that their case was a hopeless cause, and that they would be arrested upon returning to Pinas, that left nothing for a peaceful resolution of the standoff.
Ngayon nakikiramay? It is very obvious, Pnoy did not exert effort to call/sit down with the Kirams while the standoff was going on, but he kept open communication with Malaysia. Nakakalungkot!
As expected. Our government telegraph to the Malaysian their non support to the group kaya mabilis na nawalan ng pasensya ang mga Malaysian. It pains me to know how incompetent and unprepared our government when dealing with this kind of situation!
the Kirams sent their (very much illegal) private army to Sabah and their statements indicated they were prepared to use violence if necessary. as long as guns are involved in any situation, particular a tense one, there will always be potential for bloodshed.
the government was correct not to kowtow to the Kirams. they who were arrogant and heedless of the ramifications of their actions, affecting not just the thousands of Filipinos living in Sabah but the whole country itself.
may gusto bang makipag-dialogue lang na magdadala ng armas habang nagmamatigas na kung ano ang gusto nila, yun ang dapat sundin. mga hostage-taker at terorista lang ang gumagawa nun.
and please lang. are they really saying the truth when the Kirams said that they are claiming Sabah for the Philippines?
i saw an interview of a Tausug who said na dapat daw makipaglaban ang Pilipinas sa Malaysia para sa Sabah pero para lang daw sa mga Tausug at hindi para sa buong Pilipinas.
i wonder how many Tausugs share the same sentiment?
and what do the Kirams really want? to reclaim Sabah or just increase the rent being paid to them? as they said themselves, handa rin naman sila bumalik oras na magkasundo sila sa tamang presyo ng renta.
di ba nagka-referendum na sa Sabah? ayaw ng mga taga-Sabah na maging parte ng Pilipinas. ba’t natin sila pipilitin?
let’s face it, in all probability, short of us winning the war, Malaysia will never return Sabah to the sultanate. ang laki kaya ng kita nila dyan.
if the Kirams wanted to gain attention to their claim, they could’ve have just went to the media and to the international stage via the court. hindi yung susugod ka na may dalang armas na animo’y naghahamon ng gulo tapos pag pinatulan ka ng hinamon mo ay gagawin mong panangga ang buong Pilipinas at aapela ka sa kapwa Pilipino na sumama sa laban mo.
the government was right to demand that they lay down their arms and return home before any dialogue should take place. by bringing weapons, they only gave the Malaysian forces the excuse to use weapons as well. and the Kirams were probably well aware of this. shame on them for putting other peoples lives at stake. the blood is on their hands.
tanong lang Ellen, close ba si Pastor Boy Saycon sa mga Kiram? kelan pa sya naging counselor ng mga ito with regards to the Sabah issue?
My reading was that this leadership chose to sacrifice the lives of its own citizens in order not to jeopardize the Malaysian sponsored peace with MILF.
The palace expected loss of lives, did not care because the Kirams have no value to the occupants.
Sultan Kiram and his Heirs may now have Lost opportunities to make peaceful settlement Their Claims of Dominion over Sabah since they defied the President call to LAY DOWN their ARMS and Leave Datu Lahad peacefully before any talks can be initiated in their Behalf. They might as well build up their own Armed Forces Strong enough for Occupation and not to run back to the sea at the First sight of the enemy. Or try to developed what they have now. Sulu is just as rich and Large enough, by golly it is even Larger than Singapore and very rich in resources.
#14
…”out of size” attention from the perspective of a condescending yet cowardly (and domestic terrorist-coddling) government.
Correct. “Condescending” is the right word to describe the attitude of PNoy and his officials towards the Kirams.
And this Lacierda to even put himself in the level of the Sultan of Sulu!
Lacierda, you are just a cabinet functionary. You were supposed to be part of the host’s party in that event. If you had no seat,ano ngayon?
The case of the Sultan of Sulu is different from you case.
Like Lolo, Like Father, Like Son?” By Ronald Roy
by Showbiz Government on Friday, March 1, 2013 at 3:28am ·
https://www.facebook.com/notes/showbiz-government/like-lolo-like-father-like-son-by-ronald-roy/469713209748878
hay naku.
mukhang karamihan sa atin eh di pa talaga naipapasok sa mga kukote ang isang napakahalagang aspeto ng isyu na ito.
ang Sabah na yan ay hindi isang malaking piraso ng lupa lamang.
MARAMING TAO ang nakatira dyan.
kung saka-sakaling magkaroon ng himala at kusang ibalik ng Malaysia ang Sabah sa pamilyang Kiram, ano ang gagawin ng mga Kiram sa mga Malaysians na nakatira sa Sabah? ano ang gagawin ng Pilipinas?
at papayag ba ang mga Malaysians sa Sabah na maging Filipino citizens?
doon sa mga walang alam tungkol sa tunay na dahilan sa sabah claim, better educate yourselves. visit sulu and ask the elders how the kirams became owners of sabah which was annexed to malaysia during the marcos’ administration BUT actually part of the SULTANATE OF SULU.
lalo ka na, lacierda!
moreso, buklatin natin at balikan ang JABIDAH MASSCARE na malaki ang kinalaman sa sigalot na ito na nag-ugat sa tnagkang pagbawi ng mga kiram sa lupaing talagang kanila at sakop ng teritoryo ng pilipinas!
tsk. tsk. tsk. tsk.
and vic, lahad datu ang tamang pangalan ng lugar.
#24.
ellen, wala akong tiwala sa pahayag ni carandang.
a good journalist but a blow horn full of shit!
Comment by “Birdseye” posted in Yahoo:
Sabotage is part of politics and this is the reality. A seasoned, competent and wise politician will always take and turn it into an opportunity to get or make a great accomplishment.
The current Sabah issue could have been an opportunity for President Aquino to be further endeared by the Filipinos if the situation was handled properly. The incompetent people around President Aquino are squandering the good chance of becoming the best president of the Philippines. The President, I think, should change horses now.
^ How can he do that when he’s the most incompetent of them all?
#33
Pls define Malaysians in Sabah. Ethnic Malays lang ba (who comprise a minority) o kasama ang mga Tausug at ibang ethnic groups na may Malaysian citizenship (who comprise the majority)?
Dito ko pala dapat napost yung commment ko sa previous one. There are many claimants to the Sultanate’s throne. One of them is not even a Kiram and I’m still unsettled if it’s this Jamalul. Now you can see the picture getting clearer, if this is the fake one, it’s Gloria’s handiwork alright, after all it was her who formally recognized him.
Re the Sabah referendum. So if majority of any province, i.e. Cebuanos, say we don’t recognize the Manila-based leadership they are officially independent of the Philippines? For all intents, the usual excuse that THAT referendum is the raison d’etre why Sabah is what it is and totally foreign to the Philipppines is not supported by any local law nor the constitution, hence illegal.
I’m sure if you conduct a survey here and now and ask which country Filipinos would want to be citizens of, we’d be left with just a handful.
#39
TonGuE, I dunno how authoritative she is but Amina Rasul seems to think that members of the clan now seem to be gravitating toward Jamalul, especially in light of recent events.
#40
May air of romanticism talaga ang konsepto ng self-determination. Maganda in theory pero masalimuot in actual practice (bukod sa subject pa sa mga maniobrang a la Hocus-PCOS).
Of course all the claimant-sultans will gravitate towards Jamalul at this time. So far it’s only him who has the balls to confront the issue squarely. All the others are engaging in cheap propaganda they hope would favor them if and when Sabah falls into their laps.
I also do not subscribe to that self-determination survey/referendum that others are postulating as the end-all resolution to the ownership squabble. Let say I sell my lowrise condo cluster or transfer it as a gift to my friend, the occupants or tenants cannot reject the new owner and say we are unanimously against the new owner and elect another “owner”. And yet they pay rent. WTF? It defies even kindergarten logic.
As I have stated before I believe it’s good that Jamalul is standing up and holding his own. Now we’re getting to know where our leaders officially stand.
We hated Gloria when she tried to dismember the republic and attempted to cede territory to the Bangsamoro juridical entity (of course, they will lose it later when Gloria’s underlings defeat them in an election). I’m more shocked now that Noynoy has virtually declared illegal reclaiming land that have been lost through consensual landgrab. (But hey, the Hacienda was really legally owned by the sacadas, right? I see a parallel here already)
True, there may be sinister forces funding and flaming Kiram and his men. How can you just move 230 plus fighters on mere orders when admittedly the pittance they call rent isn’t even enough for his small family? This is where genuine statesmanship, vision, leadership finesse and yes, patriotism counts most. Not this Just-for-laughs gags from the clowns and morons we’ve been reading lately.
I’m more confused now than when it started. I just get this strange feeling we’re headed towards another major epic fail soon.
#43. Tongue – are you running for any elective post in May ? If not, you should 😉
tongue, Jamalul Kiram 111 is a legal heir son to Datu Punjungan, one of the ‘ancient’ legally recognized owners of Sabah/North Borneo.
Sa dami nila na legal hiers, kung sino ang may hawak sa Ruma Bechara (council) yung ang sinusunod. E si Jamalul lang ang a-tapang na magdala ng isyung ito before the public’s eyes kaya sabi mo nga ay karamihan papunta sa kanyang ang simpatya.
Sick and old, Jamalul might be thinking that it’s the right time to bring out the Sabah issue before the leadership, konti naman na lang ang buhay nya.
#43. I’m more confused now than when it started. I just get this strange feeling we’re headed towards another major epic fail soon. -tongue
Absolutely agree! Just listen to Pnoy, the bayarang mga claimants ngayon na naglalabasan against Jamalul, the conspiracy theory, and most of all the stand of the US and GB on the matter, this is definitely bound to the great oblivion again.
#40. Saktong-sakto ruler mo, tongue, tungkol sa referendum.
bayonic, Ayoko nga. E kung manalo ako, di ninyo ako titigilang batikusin dito, hahaha.
Chi, yung pagkakaintindi ng iba sa principle ng self determination ay vaguely flawed. Kung ang isang group of citizens ay napipintong lumaya from foreign rule the principle applies. The historical references prove this. In this case, yung referendum, kaya nainvolve ang ibang bansa dahil the UN doubted the Sabahans capability to self-govern kaya mismong UN ang nagsupervise.
Ang pinaguusapan diyan yung pagiging sovereign ng Sarawak, free from the clutches of the governance na pinatatakbo peciuliarly, ng isang private entity, yun ngang British East India. For the first time magseself govern sila pero dahil nga kulang sa kakayahan, pinapili sila kung gusto nilang sumanib sa Malaysia. Although state na sila, kailangan nila ng gobyerno, which Malaysia provided. Di nakialam ang mga heirs ni Kiram kasi nga inuna nila yung agawan ng titulo at di naman nakialam ang Pinas dahil simula nung i-lease nung 1878 hanggang mamatay si Sultan Kiram nung 1936, na-isolate ng mga Kano ang Muslim Mindanao sa Imperial Manila gawa ng merong mga pockets of rebellion ng mga Moro laba kina Gen. Pershing. Paano mong igogovern yun e kung tayo nga hindi pa malaya?
Kaya naman 6 days matapos ideklara ang independence natin, agad inilipat nung lessors sa British government yung administration ng Sabah, which, according to the terms of the contract is not allowed. Kaya putang inang Britain yan, sila ang may kasalanan ng puno’t dulo nito.
So nasaan na ang self determination? Illegal din dahil kailanman di tayo binigyan ng chance na igovern ang Sabah. Paano nila tayong ire-reject e hindi pa tayo nakapuwesto in the first place? Na determine lang na yung mga taga Sabah gusto nang lumaya sa western rulers hindi sa kanyang tribal rulers. Diyan ang butas ng argumento ng Malaysia sa ICJ.
Dagdag mo pa yung willful and legal payment of annual rent, tacit admission of ownership. Hindi naman nila kineclaim na ibinenta o niregalo ni Kiram, mas lalong wala silang dokumento para patunayan yan.
Slip of the TonGuE: Ang pinaguusapan diyan yung pagiging sovereign ng Sarawak and North Borneo (Sabah),…