Robin Padilla: Gov't must help Sulu heirs assert Sabah rights

Senator Robin Padilla on Tuesday asked the government to help the descendants of the Sultan of Sulu assert their rights over Sabah in the same way the Philippines is maintaining its claims in the West Philippine Sea.

The neophyte lawmaker brought the territorial issue over Sabah before the chamber on Tuesday in his first privilege speech.

"Bilang mga Pilipino, karapat-dapat na tulungan ng buong kapangyarihan ng ating pamahalaan ang mga tagapagmana ng Sultanato ng Sulu katulad ng pagtulong nito sa kahit sinong mamamayan sa loob at labas ng bansa. Ang pagtulong ng pamahalaan sa kanyang mamamayan ay mandato ng Estado, hindi ito dapat pagmulan ng anumang tensyon sa relasyon ng Pilipinas at Malaysia," Padilla said.

"Kung atin pong babalikan, sariwa pa sa atin ang makasaysayang desisyon ng Hague Permanent Court of Arbitration noong 2016 ukol sa West Philippine Sea. Binuhusan ng pansin at panahon ang usaping ito na nagbunga ng monumental na desisyon para sa kapakinabangan ng bansa. Kung kinaya nating maglunsad ng makasaysayang pagkilos sa katulad na national agenda, bakit tila po salat na salat sa pansin ang Sabah?" he asked.

Padilla said that the Sulu royal family in 2018 sought the help of an international tribunal in Madrid in resolving the dispute against the government of Malaysia after the latter stopped paying its annual lease.

"Sa kabila ng tuloy-tuloy na paglilitis, hindi nagpaabot ng representasyon ang pamahalaan ng Malaysia liban lamang sa tatlong pagkakataon. Patuloy ang pambabalewala ng gobyerno ng Malaysia sa arbitrasyon," Padilla said.

"Ginoong Pangulo, nakadidismaya po na sa panig natin ay pareho rin ang tugon ng pamahalaan. Hindi ba napakalaking kapabayaan na hinahayaan nating umasa na lamang ang Sultanato sa tulong ng pribadong organisasyon para tustusan ang lehitimong laban?" he added.

Padilla said the claimants were able to win the case before a Madrid High Court in May 2020. This ruling was eventually affirmed by the French Arbitration Court.

Under the ruling, Padilla said the court declared that the 1878 Agreement was considered an international private lease agreement of commercial nature; the Malaysian government had violated the 1878 Agreement when it did not pay its lease; and the lease agreement was already terminated since January 1, 2013.

The lawmaker added that the same ruling ordered Malaysia to pay $14.9 billion to the descendants of the last Sultan of Sulu.

"Isipin po natin, mahal na Pangulo: kung malaki ang kapakinabangan ng bansa mula sa desisyong ito -- kabilang na ang buwis na bubuhos mula sa parangal sa mga claimants -- bakit po tila napakatahimik natin? Bakit po parang walang tumutulong sa kanila?" Padilla said.

The lawmaker said the revenues from these claims could help the government in dealing with the pandemic, inflation, and debt.

He then expressed hope that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s strong statement on Philippine territories during his first State of the Nation Address will cover the issue of Sabah.

"Hangad po natin na ang makabuluhang pahayag ng ating Pangulo ng Republika ay sumasaklaw sa usapin sa Sabah," he said.

"Isapuso at isip po natin--- bilang Pilipino at iisang bansa, isang tagumpay ang panalo sa internasyunal na hukuman ng mga tagapagmana ng Sultanato para sa kanilang karapatan sa Sabah," he ended.

In his interpellation, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III said that the governments of the Philippines and Malaysia may bring this issue before the United Nations to "finally put an end" to the dispute.

"Being a responsible member of the United Nations, we should only use methods recognized by the UN for settling disputes between sovereign nations," Pimentel, former chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Relations, said.

"Since the Republic of the Philippines is confident enough that we can defend, sustain, and prove the ownership of the Sultanate of Sulu over this territory called Sabah or North Borneo, then we can challenge our friend, Malaysia, our neighbor Malaysia, if they are also confident enough...then we should, with our consent, both countries consenting, submit the issue before the international courts of justice for final settlement," he added.

GMA News Online sent messages to the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Malaysian Embassy for their reaction, but has yet to get a response as of posting time.—With Richa Noriega/LDF, GMA News