A memorandum circular laying down guidelines on what to do or not do in relation to Sabah issues.

[THE PHILIPPINE SABAH SOCIETY]

HULI MAN DIN: Let us hope it is not yet too late to correct the
blunders of some officials who, by ignorance or stupidity, have done,
said, or signed something that have weakened the Philippine claim on
Sabah (North Borneo).

Alarmed by lapses of Philippine officials, some of them negotiating
for the government, Malacañang rushed recently a memorandum circular
laying down guidelines on what to do or not do in relation to Sabah
issues.

The memorandum may also help blunt a possible ruling of the Supreme
Court that the Memorandum of Agreement on (Moro) Ancestral Domain that
negotiators of President Gloria Arroyo had signed with the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front is unconstitutional.

The President has been accused of moving to dismember the Republic
with the carving out of a Bangsamoro state through the MoA-AD. The
loss of Sabah as a consequence, or by default, would compound her
problem, including her possible impeachment.

* * *

RIGHTFUL CLAIM: The likely loss of Sabah by default was brought to the
fore by the bungling of government "peace" negotiators who had agreed
to give the secessionist MILF its own Bangsamoro embracing Mindanao,
Sulu and Palawan.

For whatever it may be worth at this late date, Memorandum Circular
No. 162 was issued last Aug. 20 by Executive Secretary Eduardo R.
Ermita.

The preamble of the one-page circular says: "By virtue of Article 1 of
the Philippine Constitution on National Territory, the Philippines has
historical and legal right over certain parts of North Borneo (Sabah).

"It is in the national interest to safeguard the country's historical
and legal rights in North Borneo (Sabah).

"The Philippines believes in the peaceful resolution of disputes with
neighboring countries as provided under the same Constitution, which
expressly states that the Philippines adheres to the policy of peace,
equality, justice, freedom, cooperation, and amity with all nations.

"There is need for guidelines with regard to activities, acts or
statements in relation to North Borneo (Sabah) for the protection of
the said rights."

* * *

GUIDELINES: The memorandum circular prescribed these guidelines:

1. No department, agency, or instrumentality of the Philippine
government shall make any act or statement expressing or implying,
directly or indirectly, any recognition of a foreign state's
sovereignty over North Borneo (Sabah) or non-recognition of Philippine
title or historical and legal rights to the same.

2. Any official activity, act or statement relating to North Borneo
(Sabah) or which may have bearing on the Philippine claim to said
territory shall be carried out only with the clearance of or after
consultations with the Department of Foreign Affairs.

3. Reference to North Borneo (Sabah) in official documents should not
include its being part of a larger nation/federal territory. These
documents include, but are not limited to, the following: Philippine
passports, agreement, agreed minutes, joint communiqués, record of
discussions, and similar documents.

4. Philippine government officials visiting North Borneo (Sabah) shall
provide the DFA with a report on their travel thereto.

* * *

IGNORANCE: With these guidelines, officials involved in discussions
and the signing of documents that may be related, however remotely, to
Sabah must always insert a reservation that our claim is alive and
being pursued.

Filipino officials, even if entertained to the max by their Malaysian
counterparts in a foreign capital, are admonished not to forget Sabah.

Back in Manila, even Malacañang officials must brush up on Sabah
issues lest they lose sight of the claim formally made by no less than
the father of President Arroyo, then President Diosdado Macapagal.

That some Filipino negotiators and emissaries had jeopardized the
claim out of ignorance does not mitigate their treasonous act.
Stupidity may even aggravate it.

Their principals in the home office, all the way up to Malacañang, are
just as liable.

* * *

SABAH LEASE: The basic fact that must not be forgotten is that Sabah
is owned by the Filipino Sultan of Sulu (now by his heirs), who merely
leased it to a British company in the 1880s.

Until now rental is still being paid. Even unlettered Filipinos are
wont to ask: If indeed Sabah is part of Malaysia, why is Kuala Lumpur
paying rent?

Under British direction, Malaysia took over unilaterally the rights of
the British North Borneo Company leasing it and annexed the property
in 1963 to its federation as a member-state with the name of Sabah.

Filipinos were hurt when their ally the United States - with whom they
have a mutual defense pact - did not lift a finger, but even connived,
they think, with the United Kingdom in forcing the formation of a
Malaysian federation that included Sabah.

We are anxiously waiting for President Arroyo, the country's sole
spokesman in foreign affairs, to address the nation and say where she
stands on the Sabah question.