Phl urged to bring Sabah issue to world forum

MANILA, Philippines - A former governor of Tawi Tawi on Tuesday said the Sabah issue should resolved before an international forum.

Speaking to reporters at the home of Sulu Sultan Jamalal Kiram III at the Maharlika Village in Taguig City, former Tawi Tawi Governor Al Tillah said the issue should be settled by the United Nations.

“The Sabah crisis is rooted historically in the just struggle of the Sultanate through justice and the lofty ideals of the Muslim Filipinos. Any opinion to the contrary is null and void,” said Tillah.

“The resolution  should ultimately be between the Sulu Sultanate and Malaysia before the world forum under the United Nations,” he added.

Tillah added that what is now happening in Sabah is not a rebellion by the Sultanate of Sulu but rather is a defense of their historic rights over the territory.

“The Muslim Filipinos are just defending their historic rights.  [This is] not a rebellion against existing authorities,” he said.

Tillah also lashed at President Aquino for the latter's apparent reluctance to have the issue arbitrated before the international court.

He also assailed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front for trading the peace process with the Philippine government with the Sabah issue.

“Why the reluctance of President Benigno Aquino III’s administration to take the issue to the international court for arbitration? So I ask you again, what did President Aquino trade to gain this peace process with the MILF or are our brothers in the Moro Islamic Liberation Front championed by Malaysia?” he said.

Tillah criticized Aquino for excluding the Moro National Liberation Front and the Sultanate of Sulu in the peace process.

“Why was the MNLF, the Moro National Liberation Front chaired by Chairman Misuari, a Tausug from Sulu, and the Sultanate of Sulu,  not engaged in the process? [Is it] because it would surface the Sabah claim which would not have been acceptable to President Benigno Aquino III’s champion, the Malaysians? ” he said.

“The fact is, the Sabah claim might have been a most inconvenient truth to face in  the peace process. So it was a sellout not only of the Sultanate but all Filipinos,” Tillah added.

“Is this the kind of peace the MILF signed for? Born out of treachery? [This Sabah issue] was the swept under the rug and treated with inaction,” he added.

Tillah appealed to Filipinos to support the cause of the Sultanate of Sulu saying  that it has now become the fight of all Filipinos.

“I now appeal to all Filipinos, Muslims, Christians and lumads. This issue is not just limited to the  heirs of the Sultanate of Sulu, the Tausugs and the even the Muslims of Mindanao. This  is now the fight of all Filipinos,” he said.

“I appeal to all Filipinos. I am calling on all Filipinos to support this just claim of the Sulu Sultanate. They are historically part of it since ancient times and they are citizens of our country,” he added. - Mike Frialde