SABAH CLAIM REFRAIN: "BLAME SOMEONE ELSE BUT ME"

"When Malaya's Tunku Abdul Rahman went to Sabah before the Sabah referendum in 1962 to talk to the elders of North Borneo (Sabah), why did not the Philippines and its Government do the same to organise a campaign in situ to get the Sabahans on side? Why didn't they do it?


 
By Anne de Bretagne
For the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
for the Defenders of the Philippine Sabah & Spratly Claims
and for Sabah Claim Society
23 August 2015


Now, is "blame someone else but me" a distinct Filipino character trait? I'm beginning to think it is! 

For the last few years, the usual refrain when people discuss the Sabah claim issue is to blame the British for the situation the Philippines finds itself in with regard to its stale claim on Sabah. Well, well...

Alright, let's deal with it and throw the Framework Agreement, the BBL, the entire immobile Sabah claim, the Sultanate of Sulu bickering (nearly fratricidal crap, etc, etc) and include with them the kitchen sink at the British. 

I agree the British 'created the problem' as many people who have just recently discovered the North Borneo (Sabah) conundrum have been spewing all over the place.  But here's what: these Filipinos must understand and admit once and for all that the Philippines contributed largely to that decision that created the problem (and continues to contribute unequivocally to the problem TODAY).

But let's be fair and be a bit more clever about things. It's nice to have a punching bag or to have a butt of "sisi" (much like Noynoy aka as Boy Sisi), in this case, the British, but we must ascertain that the Philippines, its leaders and its people aren't at  fault either before we cast blame or "sisi" all around. Anyway, if we want to cast "sisi" all around, here are some real reasons for you to go and do all the "sisi" you want:

(1) At the time, i.e., early 60s, Senator Jovi Salonga was working so hard negotiating with the Brits, your/our own countryman, Senator Lorenzo Sumulong, a flamboyant ex-diplomat to the UN (who happens to be the grand uncle of current PH president, Noynoy Aquino), was going all over the place, attacking and casting vitriolic heaps of acid via the PH Senate pulpit to whip PH Govt and its Sabah claim to extinction. 

He sold the PH claim to Tunku Adul Rahman, then Malaysia's Prime Minister by acting as the soon-to-be-created Malaysia Federation's attack dog against the Government of the Philippines and its claim to Sabah. It wouldn't surprise me therefore, that like the big powers at the time, the Brits took this all-Philippine treasonous approach to the Sabah claim, happening in one of the highest echelons of power, as an excuse to say, "Bloody hell! You people don't know what you want? Well, I'll decide for you!" (Let's not beat around the bush, it was an all-Filipino treason game which must have greatly amused the Brits and the Malayans!) 

(2) Furthermore, if blame has to be cast all around, let's not look far away.... Our own masters and commanders at the time, the great United States of America, did not lift a finger, did not do anything at all to help us convince the British to allow the Sultanate of Sulu to have it back in 1962. On the contrary, the Americans not only did not pay even scant attention to this issue but also discouraged us from tackling the Sabah issue (check out records from as far back as 1957). And one would have thought that as our greatest allies, they would see our way. But heck, no...just didn't happen, but you don't see me around blaming the Americans, now, do you? (Fast forward... In 1967 or 68, it was America that alerted Britain that Marcos was on a "war path" and so what happened? Britain tried to show force by landing fighter aircraft on our own soil. Did America say anything? Nope! Not a word! They were in cahoots with the UK!)

(3) One important element: When Malaya's Tunku Abdul Rahman went to Sabah before the Sabah referendum in 1962 to talk to the elders of North Borneo (Sabah), why did not the Philippines do the same to organise a campaign in situ to get the Sabahans on side? Why?

The Philippine Government was well aware of what was going to happen but did not lift a finger, did not do anything and instead, LEFT EVERYTHING TO FATE as in "Bahala na!" The Government at the time just sat on its big fat ass while the other party, the Malayans led by Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, were going at things hammer and tong right in the heart of Sabah to convince the Sabahans to join the soon-to-be created Malaysia Federation. TOTAL PHILIPPINE INERTIA! PH Govt just didn't go the extra mile even if it meant saving Sabah claim's own skin for God and country. Parbleu! And you think we are not to blame?

And I can recite a long series of other "blames" but I won't. I'll stop at those because they should be enough to enlighten you.

So, lets be a bit more clever about this, shall we? Because we can't just be making "sisi" all around like Noynoy does today when things go wrong and believe that it's everybody else's fault but ours! If you really want to know, we were as much to blame for being generally do-lally about the claim. 

This "sisi" doctrine seems to be deeply embedded in our psyche but let's get over it and move on!

Let's not allow classic INERTIA (Bahala na!) to overcome us just because it makes us feel better to  whine consistently and to look back to the past to blame the British for all that has gone badly with Sabah (of which, I must remind Filipinos, are also largely, hugely responsible for, anyway) and let this politics of blame stop at the water's edge! Instead, FIND SOLUTIONS TO HOW TO GET THE BLASTED SABAH BACK or at the very least, find solutions not to allow this country to be partitioned by radicals, zealots, fanatics, secessionists, Malaysian warriors by proxy in the southern Philippines with the treasonous complicity -- again of Govt officials, elected and appointed!

Blaming the Brits for the Sabah debacle ad vitam eternam is not going to help achieve what many Filipinos want, i.e., get Sabah back. 

~~~~O~~~~

UNACCEPTABLE, MR BRITISH AMBASSADOR, DEFINITELY UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR ON YOUR PART TO INTERFERE IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF THE PHILIPPINES!

British Ambassador Ahmad

EDITORIAL
"Ambassador Ahmad, you've stepped out of line -- you have gone one step too far when you did that. You showed your true colours if I may say and it is unacceptable that the Foreign Office should keep you on in your Manila post because you have misrepresented Her Majesty's Government by being thoroughly obnoxious to your Philippine hosts. And I must warn you that I wouldn't be remotely surprised if the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs summons you for a bit of a lecture on proper ambassadorial behaviour and wouldn't astonish me in the least if the PH public demands that Britain recall you!"

By Anne de Bretagne
For the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
for the Defenders of the Philippine Sabah & Spratly Claims
and for the Sabah Claim Society
21 August 2015

I am flabbergasted that not one of the esteemed members and opinion columnists of the Philippine press has reacted to the news report: "UK envoy: Lack of quorum on BBL unacceptable;  British ambassador Asif Ahmad was reacting to news reports that the lack of quorum was impeding the passage of the BBL at the 291-member House of Representatives."

But we on the PSCF say that it is completely, utterly unacceptable behaviour on the part of the British ambassador to the Philippines to comment negatively on the internal affairs, workings, governance of a foreign country like the Philippines!

Asif Ahmad, British envoy to the Philippines, a solid Muslim, born of a Pakistani father who became a Bangla Desh diplomat took a swipe at the Philippine legislature's lack of quorum and so was unable to tackle the BBL question. Note that Britain is one of the countries that  volunteered to be a member of the "advisory" panel that oversaw Malaysia's engineering of the Framework Agreement.

I would not like to presume that Ambassador Ahmad took a swipe at the lack of quorum in the House of Representatives that was supposed to debate on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law because he had a personal interest in the Malaysia-MILF engineered BBL. No,  I wouldn't like to assume that at all! Let me just say outright that while the British ambassador's remarks were technically right, it is thoroughly unacceptable for a British envoy to interfere in the internal affairs and workings of a foreign country where he represents Her Majesty's Government. And I thought British ambassadors and senior members of the British Foreign Office were a bit more intelligent! I do believe that it is now unacceptable that the British Foreign Office should count among them, an envoy of questionable meddling character!

British Ambassador Ahmad has no effing right to tell us to our face, no matter how noble his intentions might be that it was unacceptable "that many members of Congress are not showing up" and to continue with a lecture on how they do it in the UK House of Commons...Simply unacceptable of the British Ambassador to do that. What and who gave him the right to say such things? Certainly not Her Majesty nor Her Majesty's Foreign Office  and definitely not Prime Minister Cameron. So why did he effing open his mouth to criticise a foreign country's internal governance?

To His Excellency, Asif Ahmad, British Ambassador to Manila, answer this question: How would the British Foreign Office, let alone the British public react if the Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St James (London) stood up at a social function and told journalists that "It is unacceptable that the House of Commons acts like a circus during Prime Minister question time"? and if the Ph ambassador added, "Members of the British Parliament must act mature and not act like spoiled brats."?

Ambassador Ahmad, you've stepped out of line -- you have gone one step too far when you did that. You showed your true colours if I may say and it is unacceptable that the Foreign Office should keep you on in your Manila post because you have misrepresented Her Majesty's Government by being thoroughly obnoxious to your Philippine hosts. And I must warn you that I wouldn't be remotely surprised if the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs summons you for a bit of a lecture on proper ambassadorial behaviour and wouldn't astonish me in the least if the PH public demands that Britain recall you!

So, Mr Ambassador, take my counsel: Keep calm and shut up!

~~~~O~~~~

REPORT: UK envoy: lack of quorum unacceptable

British ambassador Asif Ahmad was reacting to news reports that the lack of quorum was impeding the passage of the BBL at the 291-member House of Representatives.

“In the United Kingdom, either you agree or oppose something. It is your duty as an elected official to debate and vote. But to hide under a stone is not doing the job that you are elected to do,” Ahmad told reporters during a reception he hosted at his residence on Tuesday night.

The House of Representatives is in the process of interpolating the draft BBL, which was based on the peace agreement signed by the Aguino administration and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. It proposes establishing a new, autonomous political entity to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“It is noticeable that many members of Congress are not showing up, which in my view is unacceptable,” Ahmad said.

Britain, which has its own experience dealing with separatist movements, had offered the Philippines its advisory assistance in the Mindanao peace process.

He cited the processes in the UK that led to the Scotland Independence referendum in 2014.–Niña P. Calleja

Read more: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/127515/uk-envoy-lack-of-quorum-on-bbl-unacceptable#ixzz3jTto7SYs

Operation Merdeka and its Filipino unsung heroes killed by Kuala Lumpur

"After nearly 50 years, it's time for the Philippine Republic and its government to be brave, to admit officially to the world that PH did plan to 'invade' Sabah -- and not to give a damn about what Kuala Lumpur might think or say, to open the "official" records and give due recognition to those 'unsung, under cover heroes' of the Republic, who had been embedded in Sabah and who were brutally tortured and murdered by Malaysia's dreaded ISA in the run up to the denunciation of Operation Merdeka, so that they may finally rest in peace! The Republic owes them that..."



 

By Anne de Bretagne
For the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
for the Defenders of Philippine Sabah & Spratly Claims
and for the Sabah Claim Society
21 August 2015


The following, in a nutshell, is the "infamous" Operation Merdeka, i.e., Philippine plan to recover Sabah (before the plan was scuttled):

Operation Merdeka was originally the brainchild of President Diosdado Macapagal but its execution was organised by his successor, President Marcos. The plan was not to wage war against the Suluks in Sabah (Suluks are the Tausug inhabitants of Sabah) but only to create disturbance in Sabah. The initial purpose was to INFILTRATE Sabah by sending military trained Tausugs from Sulu to organise huge rallies, enormous rallies (much like what Putin did to Crimea) and to catch the Peninsular Malaysians by surprise... Noting the distance between KL and Kota Kinabalu, Marcos was banking on the element of surprise, i.e., that it would take Kuala Lumpur a great deal of time to scramble their fighters and by then everything would be over. Sabah would be under PH control.

Marcos had a squadron of the the Philippine Air Force which got ready to fly over Kota Kinabalu and other towns (in a bid to frighten whatever KL troops or sentries were there) while the infiltrated troops (Tausugs and their AFP military handlers) were occupying the most sensitive positions, hoist the PH FLAG atop every point, blast the announcement over loudspeakers all over Sabah towns... the PHIL AIR FORCE fighter aircraft then would fly over to signal that Sabah was retaken! THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OPERATION MERDEKA

But as ever, Murphy's military law played its hand: "Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong!" because Senator Ninoy Aquino, true to the Aquino clan mantra, would rather sabotage the plan against his own countrys interest to favour the Peninsular Malaysians -- God knows we know not why -- just as Senator Sumulong (his 'uncle-in-law) had done before him and just as his son is doing today.

And what the Filipino public hardly knows about is what happened after Operation Merdeka was denounced: Filipinos under cover, on mission for the  Republic were captured, ruthlessly tortured, killed, and are buried in the recesses of Sabah.

Understand that there were already hundreds of PH assets, military and para-military who had gone under cover and had infiltrated Sabah* (long before the so-called or the sensationalised "Jabidah-Corregidor Massacre" victims); they had already been sent to Sabah, had been lying under cover all over Sabah in preparation for the 'Operation' and who were caught in the quagmire in Sabah (North Borneo) after Sen Ninoy Aquino denounced the operation on the Senate pulpit.

Kuala Lumpur's intel agencies, led by Malaysia's dreaded ISA, moved with lightning speed, captured many of them, tortured and killed many, many of them -- impossible to determine today the number of Filipino para-military and military infiltrates in Sabah who were ruthlessly tortured and summarily executed unless we open PH Government records officially. A horrendous end for these Filipinos who were on mission for the Republic but who remain officially nameless today. They were Filipinos.

*NB: These Operation Merdeka assets had already infiltrated Sabah as moles, plants, sleepers, undercover agents, etc., long before the sensationalised "Jabidah Massacre" and were not the "Tausug trainees' referred to in the Corregidor-Jabidah Massacre episode exposed by Senator Ninoy Aquino and who were still being groomed precisely to join these assets that had already been embedded in Sabah. The embedded assets in Sabah fell victims to Malaysia's killer hands following the denunciation of the Operation in the Senate by Senator Ninoy Aquino.

Until today, many of -- if not all, those nameless PH casualties cannot be officially recognised by our government, cannot be given proper burial, or even just be given proper honours, because to officially recognise them as Operation Merdeka heroes, PH must admit to having planned and partly executed the invasion of Sabah and that just cannot be done according to PH government. So, today, there are many unsung heroes, casualties of this "silent, undeclared war", buried in Sabah without recognition from their government for what they have done in the name of the Republic. But Malaysia knows the crimes it has committed on these people in 1968 and knows that PH doesn't give a damn about them.

It's time to face what happened in Sabah after the scuttling of Operation Merdeka nearly 50 years ago to honour those Filipinos who were sent on a covert mission but never came back because they were captured, tortured and killed by Malaysia if only to give them proper burial.
  
After almost 50 years, it's time for the Philippine Republic and its government to be brave, to admit officially to the world that PH did plan to 'invade' Sabah -- and not to give a damn about what Kuala Lumpur might think or say, to open the "official" records and give due recognition to those 'unsung, under cover heroes' of the Republic who were brutally tortured and murdered by Malaysia's dreaded ISA in the run up to the denunciation of Operation Merdeka so that they may finally rest in peace! The Republic owes them that...