Muslim Tausug lawyers want independence of Sulu Sultanate in Southern Philippines

Above photo shows the 1718 Flag of Sultanate of Sulu: 5 stars - Sulu (including Tawi-Tawi), Basilan, Zamboanga Peninsula, Palawan & North Borneo (Sabah); Kalis (sword) - Al-Marhom Sultan Alimuddin I - First Heir Apparent of Sultanate of Sulu; and Budjak (sphere) - Al-MArhom Sultan Muizzudin - Second Heir Apparent of Sultanate of Sulu. Below photo shows the battlecry of the United Tausugs Sultanate of Sulu.

A team of Tausug international and local lawyers of North Borneo (Sabah), Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Basilan, Zamboanga Peninsula and Palawan want the Philippine government, United States of America, Spain, Malaysia and Great Britain to listen to their claims of independence of the Sultanate of Sulu.

The lawyers calling themselves "Tausug Lawyers of Stateless Tausug Ra'ayats are pushing for the restoration of sovereignty of the Tausugs over Sulu Sultanate territory (Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, Zamboanga Peninsula, Palawan North Borneo and Sulu Sea).

"We want them (Philippines, US, Spain, Malaysia and Great Britain) to bring back sovereignty of the Tausugs over the above-named territories of the Sultanate of Sulu," said Rajam Muharram, spokesperson of the United Tausugs Sultanate of Sulu.

"We want to tell them that Sulu Sultanate territory, dejure Sultanate government and absolute sovereignty still belong to sovereign Ra'ayat Tausugs of Sulu Sultanate and not to the Filipinos and the Sahabanas," Muharram added.

In a statement, the lawyers claimed that on November 17, 1405, Sulu Sultanate attained her being, as a "State" when Syed Abubakar Al-Marhom Sultan Shariful Hashim was enthroned and installed by sovereign Tausug Ra'ayats; inhabitants of Sulu Archipelago as their first Sultan.

The dominion of the Sulu Sultanate then expanded to Zamboanga Peninsula, Palawan and North Borneo; hence Sulu Sea was named and owned by her, according to the group.

Ra'ayats means people, subjects or citizens. In the monarchial form of government, the people are called "Subjects", while in the democratic form of government, the people are called "Citizens."

A country can be called "State", under the international and municipal laws, when having the following elements: 1. people; 2. territory; 3. government; 4. sovereignty; and according to international law experts, and 5. recognition (by other states on international persons or entities).Thus, the Sulu Sultanate had been a perfect "State" for 173 years prior to the first arrival of the Spaniards in 1578 to Jolo.

The lawyers said Sulu Sultanate is still a perfect "State" during the failed attempts of Spaniards to colonize her for 321 years from 1578 to 1899 though sold to United States by Spain under the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898 and the Treaty on November 7, 1900, which were both illegal and null and void.

On the other hand, they said North Borneo (Sabah) was merely leased (padjak) by Al-Marhom Sultan Jamalul Alam to British North Borneo Company for 5,000 Malayan dollars. Furthermore, Sulu Sultanate had still been a perfect "State" under the Kiram-Bates Treaty and the Carpenter Agreement concluded between the Sultanate of Sulu as a State and the USA.

Later on, the USA illegally and militarily occupied the Sulu Sultanate: illegally usurped her territory, Sultanate government and the exercise of acts of sovereignty against the will of the sovereign Ra'ayat Tausugs.

When US had left in 1946, US illegally annexed, incorporated and given the "State" of Sulu Sultanate to the Filipinos of then Philippine Islands, a distinct country; hence, by inheritance, Sulu Sultanate had been illegally and militarily occupied too by the Filipinos for 60 years now since 1946.

Meanwhile, a group of Datus in Tanjung, Siasi, Sulu led by His Royal Highness Datu Rajamuda @ Ladjamura Bin Datu Wasik Aranan Puyo called on all stateless Tausugs to unite and assemble to decide the case peacefully.

Datu Wasik, who belongs to the Sulu Sultanate's "Second Heir Apparent" Maharajah Adinda Raja Muda Bantilan, also urged Sultan claimants that Sultanate throne should be "rotated" among the three branches of the Sultanate Royal Families under the protocol system of succession.

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Kapihan de Zamboanga
By Hader Glang

The perks of our House representatives

I think many people in Zamboanga City still are not aware about the enviable perks enjoyed by our House of representatives or congressmen. So let me just spread the information I found that is worth reading for the people to know and understand what these politicians are doing with the taxpayers money.

You know, during the 14th Congress orientation of the first-term legislators on the budgeting process, a former representative who once chaired the powerful House appropriations committee remarked, “How wonderful it is to be a congressman: You have flexible time. You may or may not go to work, yet still get your salary.”

Then, he warned them not to make the mistake of paying for meals and drinks at the Batasan Pambansa’s South Lounge as it is their privilege to be served free food. The former solon may have meant everything as a joke, only that speaking of the privileges that legislators enjoy in such manner was hardly amusing, especially given a quorum-challenged legislature that has been passing fewer and fewer laws each year despite the ever increasing budgetary allocation to lawmaking.

Based on the information I gathered, when the 13th Congress formally closed last June 30, 2007 it managed to pass only 148 laws, setting a new record-low in the history of the Philippine legislature. That is no laughing matter. Yet, House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. announced even more entitlements for members of the Lower House, in particular, an annual P1-million foreign travel allotment, and allocations for additional staff and maintenance of their respective district offices as well as a new building to house new offices for the neophyte congressmen.

What the public commonly knows is that his or her district representative gets a monthly salary of P35, 000, plus, of course, yearly pork-barrel allocations amounting to P70 million — P20 million in Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and P50 million as congressional allocation for public works projects. What is seldom known are the amounts corresponding to their other entitlements, apart from salary and pork barrel.

As gleaned from the Commission on Audit’s annual published itemized lists, include expenses for district staff allocation, contractual consultants, research, consultative local travel, communication, and supplies. There are also allocations for a public affairs fund, central office staff, equipment/furniture and fixtures, and other maintenance and operating expenses (MOE).

Data from the PCIJ book, The Rulemakers, shows that the annual upkeep of each congressman had almost doubled from P2.83 million in 1994 to P5.16 million in 2002. Latest data culled from the published expenses of the 13th House point to a continuing trend, with the annual upkeep pegged at P5.7 million each congressman in 2005, or P480,880.36 a month — the highest to date.

While there has not been any increase in their basic salary since 1999, and most of the other entitlements have remained at their 2001 levels, each House member’s district staff allocation has been increased to P650,000 annually. MOE also ballooned to P600,000 in 2005 from the previous year’s P411,000. Meanwhile, expenses on consultative local travel and central office staff were at their highest in the same year at over P788,000 and close to P2 million, respectively, per congressman.

Foreign travel expenses in 2005 also was doubled compared to the 2004 amount at an average of P221,000 each House member. The total bill paid for by the government for the overseas trips of 170 congressmen was P59,413,412.

What’s more, as reported in The Rulemakers: “They are not expected to submit a payroll of their district staff or report their function, salaries and withholding taxes. No one starts asking if they do not produce a report on the research their offices should supposedly undertake. There is no demand for them to produce the list of consultants they have hired, as well as the contracts they draw up for those whose services they need. As far as the current (lack of) rules go, how the legislators spend their public affairs fund is their business and business alone.”

The generous perks do not end there. The House Speaker is himself a source of funds with a vast discretionary largesse at his disposal. From this are mostly drawn the representatives’ monthly allowances (which can range from P50,000 to P100,000), Christmas bonuses (P100,000 to 200,000), as well as the “payoffs” for votes during speakership contests and “appearance fees” (P50,000 as minimum) for attending plenary sessions to vote on crucial national bills.

The question now: “Isn’t it high time that the public demanded greater financial accountability from their representatives?” Tell this to other people you know. So the public should be informed of what our congressmen are doing to our lives!

I understand that our two House representatives (I’m referring to 1st District Congresswoman Maria Isabelle “Beng” Climaco and 2nd District Congressman Erbie Fabian) are pushing for the creation of a third legislative district. But what for the milking cow of the few? It is not a realistic move because it does not benefit the whole people of Zamboanga City, it only expands the power and influence of the “dynasts.”

Why should our two representatives not consider the proposal of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) ZambaSulTa Chapter for the creation of a new province? This has been the issue that the people want them to act on and it is more viable than pushing for a third legislative district, where we are not even sure if the city’s population is qualified for. As what our lady representative said earlier “let’s wait and see” because the National Statistic Office (NSO) has not released yet the result of the 2007 census.

The IBP proposes the creation of a province by converting some of the 98 barangays outside the radius of 13 kilometers in the east coast and 7 kilometers in the west into municipalities with Zamboanga City remaining as charter city. I don’t believe that the IBP’s move will stall the city’s development. It will even transform the city into a highly urbanized one and speed up its development and delivery of essential services and construction of facilities.

Misuari, MNLF, ARMM officials travel to Saudi Arabia for peace pact review

Key leaders of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and top officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) left to Saudi Arabia to review the September 1996 peace agreement signed with the Philippine government under the auspices of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

The meeting set from November 10 to 12 in Jeddah is attended by detained MNLF chairman Nur Misuari himself and ARMM Governor Zaldy Ampatuan, Maguindanao Governor Datu Andal Ampatuan, as well as Undersecretary Nabil Tan, who will lead the Philippine government delegation.

According to report, about 50 other MNLF leaders like Habib Sharif Zain Jali, Ustadz Abdulbaki Abubakar, and Abdulbaset Usman, accompanied Misuari. It also said the detained MNLF leader was earlier allowed by the court to travel to Saudi for the said meeting in preparation for another tripartite meeting.

It is not clear whether the Saudi Arabian government has already given the sovereign guarantee for Misuari's return to the Philippines. But a source said that the meeting in Jeddah is just an opening program, where speeches are to be made. The actual review would most probably take place either in Manila or Jakarta.

The government said the review would include the extent of the agreement's implementation under the expanded ARMM law even as the MNLF and other critics claimed there were disparities in the interpretation of the agreement between the MNLF and the Philippine government.

OIC officials had earlier complained about the slow implementation of the 1996 agreement and the MNLF has accused the government of not fulfilling its end of the deal.

However, the government insisted that it did its part of the agreement by appointing several Muslims in key positions such as in the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and Court of Appeals. Some Shariah courts had also been established as part of the agreement.

The government also said the Southern Philippines Development Authority (SPDA) had also been revived as part of the agreement. The SPDA, which was created during the Ramos administration, is under the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process.

ARMM observes Nov. 7 as Sheik Makhdum Day

The regional government of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) declared Wednesday, November 7, 2007 as special public holiday in observance of Sheik Karimul Makhdum Day.

ARMM Governor Datu Zaldy Ampatuan enjoined his constituency to observe the holiday. He issued Memorandum No. 266 on Tuesday in reference to Executive Order No. 40 dated November 4, 1991 declaring November 7 of every year as Sheikh Karimul Makhdum Day.

"I am directing all officials and employees to observe this holiday. Let us join our Muslim brethren in commemorating the dignified days of a noble missionary who determinedly proliferated the great teachings of Allah," the ARMM governor stressed.

The observance was celebrated in honor and recognition of Sheikh Makdum, the earliest missionary who propagated Islamic faith in the country.

Sheik Makhdum was credited for building the first ever mosque on the Philippines soil located in Tubig Indangan, Simunul, Tawi-Tawi in 1380 A.D. The Philippine Senate declared early last year the mosque as a national shrine.

3 people die, thousands left homeless in major fire in Siasi, Sulu

A major fire broke out in the town proper of Siasi, Sulu on Saturday, leaving three persons dead and about 7,000 families homeless, Provincial Disaster Coordinating Center (PDCC) officials of Sulu reported Sunday.

The fire took place Saturday afternoon at about 4:00 p.m. on Barangay Poblacion of Siasi and was extinguished by late in the evening, said Jainab Abdulmajid, PDCC provincial head.

She said many people, including two soldiers, were also injured in a 5-hour fire that razed hundreds of houses and a gasoline station in that island municipality.

Investigators said the fire started at a stall selling gasoline and spread so fast to a congested area in the town proper, North Laud and South Laud.

Firemen and a rescue team were dispatched to the area, but the flames had already began out of control due to lack of water.

The major fire in Siasi town was the second to hit in Sulu province in less than two months. Last September 24, a major fire also broke out in the capital town of Jolo, where nine people were reportedly injured and thousands left homeless.

Subanon farmers protest Ecozone 'encorachment' on ancestral domain

"Our ancestral domain is a matter of life, heritage and history which was taken away from us, cuts away the heart of our existence," this was the statement of a group of Subanon people here during a protest against different agencies in the city Wednesday.

The statement, signed by Timuay Tuno Bernardo, Timuay Rafael Pandalan and Timuay Bakil Gumandao, furthered that “Reclaiming what is left remains to be our toughest struggles because it is continuously denied and deprived (from) us."

The protest-rally, dubbed as “peaceful assembly and cultural presentation,” collectively brought the sentiments of the Subanon people in the city against their so-called “toughest struggle on their claim for the ancestral domains.”

The protesters, composed of farmers, women and youth staged a protest infront of the Zamboanga City Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (Ecozone) at Barangay San Ramon then trooped to the regional office of NCIP and the City Council.

They claimed that their ancetral lands totalling 9,000 hectares located in the mountain barangays (villages) of Patalon, Labuan and Limpapa were allegedly encroached by the Ecozone.

One of the protesters said their mass action is their way of expressing the realities, hope and aspirations, and their assertion of their rights as Indigenous Peoples toward their ancestral lands.

Meanwhile, Georgina Yu, Ecozone Chair and Administrator, was quoted by media as denying the protesters' claim, saying that the areas the Subanon group are claiming had been legally designated to Ecozone through Presidential Proclamation 1099 signed by former President Joseph Estrada.

Yu explained that as far as they are concerned, they are simply abiding by the law and that they observe the rule of law and the legal basis of it is through that Presidential Proclamation.

But the group denounced what they claim to be the “unreliability” of the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) to protect their rights.

NCIP was created under IPRA, which is supposed to be responsible for formulation and implementation of policies, plans and programs of government to recognize, promote and protect the right of the IPs.

Among these rights are the controversial Right to Ancestral Domain and Lands; Right to Self-Governance and Empowerment; Social Justice and Human Rights; and the Right to Cultural Integrity.