DIPLOMATIC REALITY
OF
THE MAHARLIKA SULTANATE OF SULU AND NORTH
BORNEO, TERRITORIES
(AND TERRITORIES AS BY CONSANGUINITY)
OF
THE MAHARLIKA SULTANATE OF SULU AND NORTH
BORNEO, TERRITORIES
(AND TERRITORIES AS BY CONSANGUINITY)
A State may acquire sovereignty over the Sultanate Muslim National Archipelago or so-called Philippine archipelago, only if our sovereignty was ceded (transferred or given) to the making of the Philippine Republic. Cession or transfer of our sovereignty can typically only be transferred by Treaty Agreement. In the making of the Philippine Republic, our sovereignty was never transferred or given, nor by Treaty Agreement or expressive permission nor by our consent. Our lands and territories were taken for granted by foreign powers and transferred without us being a contracting party, and to the making of the U.S. Philippine Commonwealth-government, and eventually into the making of the Philippine Republic by non-Muslims, supported by foreign power in the Luzon or Selurong Island in Manilad, with only one Muslim representative from Lanao who refused to sign.
To the present, Muslims of our Sultanate National Archipelago or so-called Philippine Archipelago have had no choice being administered by foreign sovereign power/s supporting to have established the present Philippine Republic in July 4, 1946.
Our sovereignty deprived since foreign powers’ encroachments and under its sovereign jurisdictions taken upon us, our lands and territories, without our knowledge or consent, nor by representation. Our sovereignty as Muslims in the Sultanate National Archipelago, the very essence of our cultural heritage, customs and traditions, our identity that is mistakenly confused fo Pilipinos and mistakenly for non-Muslims, resulting to some of us adapting non-Muslim dispositions, by no choice at times just to have blended in with non-Muslims.
There is no question on the level of Muslimness. However, the question arises of our Muslim dispositions being administered by non-Muslims under non-Muslim laws-that is somewhat contrary to Muslim laws. Some laws that are contrary to Islamic-Jurisprudence in violation of our Adat-Law, that comes with mere consolation of appeasements to Muslims that are mind boggling in our disposition. Explains the lost of respect, principles and moral values, by some Muslims.
We were not even consulted by foreign powers’ sovereignty upon us, the original people of our lands and territories now classified as Minorities. The basis of Spain having taken over us was, accordingly the “Law of Krag” or “Law of the jungle”; whereby a territory was supposedly never been subjected by any sovereignty or state. Yet, Spain made Treaties with the Sultanate Sovereign head of State, the Sultan. So, the “Law of Krag” was never applicable or binding. Treaty Agreements signed with between the Sultanate and the United States in 1842(U.S. Exploring Expedition), with Spain’s protocol treaty in 1862, Bates Treaty in 1899 and Carpenter Memorandum in 1915 and after the fact was clearly indicative of our de’jure sovereignty recognized as an existing State.
If retrocession, a process of “giving back” our country supposedly ceded, this may be possible. However, our State and country was never ceded with our representation, nor by consent or as a contracting party. In International law, the law of Ecclesiastical or Ecclesiastical law, whereby a Highest Spiritual Leader or Secular Religious Sovereign Head of State takes precedence,(a sultan deduced to highest spiritual leader) and without abdicating the throne and/or abrogating the Sultanate, the latter stepping down in surrender becomes voided and a replacement have to succeed.
Synonymous in the 1915 Carpenter Memorandum Agreement when Sultan Jamalul Kiram-II surrendered to the American administration, in stepping down as sultan (did not abdicate the throne nor abrogate the sultanate) and in exchanged for a lifetime pension, deduced to Highest Spiritual Leader (by which a sultan is also such), he then has been voided and precedence takes on the replacement, Sharif Sultan Imam Ul-Alam Arpa, nonetheless the latter succeeding from his father, Maharaja Adinda Taup, the cousin-crown prince and heir-apparent of Sultan Pulalun. This is because a Sultan have both Temporal-political and Ecclesiastical-religious powers indivisible in nature by which Islamic States are founded.
For our sovereignty, and we should use all options, is the rule of self-determination, the free choice or cardinal principle out of colonialism. Spain’s encroachment upon us and sold us in the Treaty of Paris of December 10, 1898 to the United States of America without our representation or as being a contracting party, despite of recognizing us, as a de’jure sovereignty in written instruments of treaty agreements was unfounded and unwarranted.
We were and are deprived of our ability or power to make decisions for our sultanate sovereignty that we want. Especially the power of our nation to decide how it want to be governed. In other words, it is the unalienable and unalterable right to self-government without the dictation of any other government. This explains of the MOA-Memorandum of Agreement for Ancestral Domains, the MILF and the MNLF. We need our rights of national and democratic self-determination because of the explicit and clear invocation of natural law, the natural rights of man of consent to our truly independent sovereignty. It is because our will as Muslim Sultanate Peoples, is supreme above foreign (non-Muslims) sovereign administrations upon us.
With the U.S. victory in the Spanish-American war of 1898 and its growing stature in the world, the United states supported annexation of former Spanish colonies as Guam, Puerto Rico and moreover, the Philippines making the latter into another sovereign Sate, the Sultanate Muslim National Archipelago into the Republic of the Philippines without the consent of the Sultanate Nationals or people. And America retained “Quasi Suzerainty” with its military bases upon it.
Foreign powers encroachments and sovereign jurisdiction/s upon us for their maintained and expanded motives of making other nation their peoples and us as their peoples, all ignored any notion of self-determination of those being governed.
With Muslim Sultanate Nationalism, we shall free ourselves out of colonialism, regaining our independence. Self-determination is a natural right, our right to secede and re-exist as a separate State and country, existing as we did before foreign encroachments upon us. It is the right of all nations, including colonies to self-determination.
The interest of the United States in the Sultanate Muslim National Archipelago had no equal weight with the claims of our people in our defensive confrontations against foreign powers encroachments and jurisdictions upon us before and after the making of the Philippine Republic; whereby, only Manila decided upon to have placed the Muslim National Archipelago as part of their National territory. Spain and the United States are just as culpable, too.
In 1941, allies of world war-II signed the Atlantic charter and accepted the Principle of self-determination. In January 1942, twenty six nations signed the declaration by United Nations which accepted those Principles of Self-Determination. The ratification and founding of the United Nations charter in 1945 at the end of world war-II placed the right of self-determination into the framework of International Law and Diplomacy. It states;
- Chapter 1, article 1, part 2 states that purpose of the United Nations charter is: “To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights
And self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen Universal Peace.”
-Article in both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic Social and cultural Rights (ICESCR), both reads;
“All peoples have the right of self-determination by virtue of the right they freely determine, their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.”
-The United Nations universal declaration of human rights Article. 15, states that everyone has the right to a nationality and that no one should be arbitrarily deprived of their true Identity, or nationality or denied the right to change nationality.
So, are we really Filipinos or are we not Sultanate Muslim Nationals. It is obviously of our unchanging Islamic plural marriages and the veracity of our defensive confrontation against foreign encroachments that apparently influenced the turn-over by Spain of our country to the United States and the self-emergence of the converted Christians into the Philippine Republic granted self-government by the United States.
Evident of President Quezon’s memorandum that served notice, prohibiting any one to exercise sovereignty or sultanate government in the Sultanate Muslim National Archipelago in September 20, 1936 and to attract us away from the Muslim world and Malaysia, unfounded and contrary to the principle of self-determination. The civilized world-of-nations know which is right despite the former’s self-emergence to sovereignty.
It is because territorial issue and/or territorial disputes inevitably would lead to more conflicts and independent movements within a nation and challenges the assumption that territorial integrity (national territory) is as important as self-determination. It is but an assumption because self-determination is paramount.
Similar as the Soviet Union’s successful post-war efforts to have turned eastern Germany and the countries of Eastern Europe into Soviet satellite states in contrast with decolonization. The additional success of Communism or Communists in creating the Peoples Republic of China and the Soviet Union led to the Cold war with western Nations. These Western Nations became willing to have supported authoritarian governments as long as they remained anti-communist, and to have suspect all self-determination Movements of being Communist inspired or Controlled. Thus, the United States entered into a 10-year war in Vietnam, taking over or replacing the French colonists or colonies.
In essence, the Sultanate Muslim National Archipelago (so-called Philippine Archipelago) was deprived of our freedom from colonialism by the authoritarian government administering upon us and the other nations to the notion that self-determination was communist inspired and that we were to remained as part of their Democracy, contrary to seceding back to a Monarchial Sultanate State.
It was a sort of continuance of the September 20, 1936 memorandum of President Quezon’s that served notice stating that no one or group will exercise acts of sovereignty, particularly in Mindanao and Sulu, or of Sultanate government for the reason that Manila is the authoritarian government backed by a foreign power-USA, towards the making of the Philippine Republic.
Moreover, the 1987 Philippine Constitution just then incorporated the Mindanao and Sulu as part of its National Territory and political component. An explicit admission of the Philippine Republic having illegally included the Mindanao and Sulu as part of their National Territory from 1935 to 1971, practicing their Sovereignty, illegally upon us. The 1987 Philippine Constitution unrecognizing Muslim and Royal titles held by Muslims was evident of the issue us being Muslims and uses politics more that principle.
Our Self-Determination is under the mandate of International Law by which territorial integrity falls under, and not municipal law. As the case of the MNLF self-determination and the MILF MOA-AD, for ancestral domains, under International law were legitimate claims. The MOA-AD or Memorandum of Agreement for Ancestral Domains between the Philippine Government as by International Law was opposed by City Officials, particularly, by the Zamboanga City Mayor the latter allowed to stand in protest at the Supreme Court presenting a Petition to the government of not signing the MOA-AD and, accordingly, to should have nothing to do with rebel groups in the past, present or future, any sort of Agreement. Citing it to be unconstitutional and dismembering the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Philippine Republic, using Municipal law as its basis. The Mayor citing that he only stands for Zamboanga City alone .But tacitly displayed that he was also for the rest of Mindanao in the presenting of his petition to the Supreme Court; the Court repeatedly reminded him of only for Zamboanga. Yet, priory when the IMT-International Monitoring Team was to make base in Zamboanga for safety and sound meetings, the Mayor declined it stating that the IMT should be at the conflict areas and not Zamboanga because, he stated, that Zamboanga is not a conflict area, even to the fact that he opposed the City of Zamaboanga being a part of the ARMM-Autonomous Region on Muslim Mindanao. Thus, evident of the Mayor being unconcerned on this whole processes for Peace.
So, why would this Mayor get to even counter the MOA-AD when he already made it vividly clear that he has nothing to do with the Peace Process? The Governor of North Cotabato praised the Zamboanga Mayor stating, that he was jealous of him, but also is very proud that he represented us all. Who does he mean by US ALL? The Mayor should not have anything to do nor allowed in opposing using only Municipal Law. The Mayor was just at the verge of being reprimanded on that spot by the Supreme court Judge, when amicably agreed that the Mayor had to have retracted his petition and the GRP not signing the MOA-AD.. In essence, the petition was unfounded, so was the non-signing of the MOA-AD.
The year 2000 United Nations Millennium Declaration stipulated the rights of people which remained under colonial domination and foreign occupation. Our Sultanate Nationals in the Sultanate Muslim National Archipelago whether they like it or not, have to succumbed to a self-identified authoritarian government, the Philippine Republic that was established by a colonial power-USA in the Treaty of Manila between the non-Muslim populace self-identifying themselves as Pilipinos, with only one so-called Filipino Muslim representative for Mindanao and Sulu at the Manila congress, who refused to sign in favor of the making of the Philippine Republic. The agreement was signed by a non-Muslim constituent, slitting his wrist and taking his own blood as ink in the signing that carried the representation for the Mindanao and Sulu at the Manila congress. The Philippine Independence was declared on July 4, 1946 synonymous of the United States 4th of July, and its country Philippines, named after King Philip of Spain, a prior colonial power before the illegal entry of the United States upon our lands and territories, just when we were already free from Spanish domination.
The Sultanate Muslim Nation in the Sultanate Muslim National Archipelago is still under the domination of foreign power, since the coming of the Spaniards, the Americans and presently the self-identified Pilipinos. In as much as the Sultanate Muslim Nationals, our sovereignty, State and country was never abrogated or dissolved since its advent; constitutionally existing despite under foreign powers administrations. We were never represented in the making of the Philippine Republic, and in the Treaty of Paris between the United States and Spain, the latter that sold our lands and territories to the former, and without representation or by our consent and knowledge, hence, we are a separate people.
Whether we like or not, the protection and preservation of our sovereignty as Sultanate Nationals, our unalienable and unalterable rights, so, to affect the undeniable support to our Sultanate Government and its Sultan, the secular religious sovereign head of the Sultanate of Sulu/Maguindanao and North Borneo-Sabah territories, and territories as by consanguinity-Kinship blood relations, the territories ruled by His Highness’ forefathers and forebears.
We are self-evident as a separate people (from ethnicity, language, history, customs and traditions) or self-evident defined by “ties of mutual affection or sentiments”, example of “Loyalty”, or by mutual obligations among our peoples unanimously in support to our rightful government, the Sultanate Government and its rightful Heir.
The Philippine Republic, its nation, is a self-identified nation since July 4, 1946 supported by a colonial power-U.S.A., as compared to our already existing State with De’jure Sovereignty. This is evident as of entreaty entered with into treaties between Spain in 1862, the United States in 1842, 1899 and the Sulu Sultanate before and after the 1915 Carpenter Memorandum, and other entreaties submitted to the U.S. Congress as our Declaration of Rights and Purposes in 1926, reflective of our de’jure sovereignty.
There is no legal process to have drawn the Philippine Republic’s state boundary in July 4, 1946 proclamation of Philippine Independence, even if it was according to the will of the self-identified people in Manila without the concurrences by the Sultanate and its Muslim National People and the Sultan. Since we lacked representation or none at all, and being a self-evident of being a separate people, the right to secede was imminent. Moreover, because even that right, as by the authoritarian government administering upon us, that there is no, on what groups may constitute a seceding people as by their sovereignty, a sovereignty now recognized by international law. To them, secession in a “State” is only considered a domestic matter and not covered by International Law. Although we have the general right to secede suffering from injustices, secession is the appropriate remedy of last resort. The authoritarian government-GRP administering upon us, in order to avoid secession to create or revert back to a new state, the GRP decentralized or devolved greater decision-making power to new or existing subunits or autonomous areas. More limited measures included restricting our demands to the maintenance of our National Culture, such as the September 20, 1936 memorandum of President Quezon that served notice prohibiting any Datu or Sultanate government to exercise acts of sovereignty and the 1987 Philippine Constitution of the non-recognition of Muslim and Royal nobility titles. Granting to us only non-territorial autonomy in the form of national associations as the OMA-Office on Muslim Affairs, OWA and the ARMM-Autonomous Region on Muslim Mindanao; to which it assumes control over cultural matters, that is, would be available only to groups or people that abandoned secessionist demands while the authoritarian government would maintain political and judicial control and so long as the autonomous areas adheres to the territorial integrity of the GRP.
The contemporary theory of secession is landowners (Sultanate Nationals) have the right and should secede, especially people deprived of their unalienable and unalterable rights. Our Sultanate Muslim people are in unilateral secession either in actions, words and in thoughts with our psychological identity having the right against majority rule and is justified, considering the facts, and also because we allow and condone any group, within our territories of their secessionist actions.
Some sovereign states do not recognize the right to self-determination; however, then again some states do in their constitution and through granting greater autonomy and through secession. In the United States and in some other country, secession may be possible through by amending the constitution and to allow, in our case, a sort of Retrocession or “giving back” of our lands and territories that was ceded and/or transferred, back through either revolution or through consent . There had been more or less about twelve constitutions that had pass in the Philippine Republic since the time of General Aguinaldo (the time we were still fighting the Spanish colonizers). In the inclusion of the Mindanao (Maguindanao) and Sulu during the U.S. Commonwealth Government in the Philippines establishing the U.S. Department of Mindanao and Sulu in 1935 to 1946, and just recently incorporating the Mindanao and Sulu in the 1987 Philippine Constitution on account that there was no specified inclusion of the Mindanao and Sulu in the Treaty of Paris of December 10, 1898 negotiated only between Spain and the United States , the 1987 Constitution was clearly an admission by the Philippine Republic to have illegally made the Mindanao and Sulu, its people, as a political component of their territorial boundary.
So, why can not the Philippine Republic amend its Constitution, allowing the Retrocession or the Giving Back of our Lands and territories, our Ancestral Domains through consent and not thru revolution or secession.
With this process, the issue of proposed borders (to its original one under the Sultanate) may not prove controversial than the fact of secession. This is not a deal at the point of a gun barrel. It is merely the rightful persuasion from the rightful government.
The MNLF and MILF are victims of the self-identified nation, the GRP, its injustices. The MNLF manipulated into Autonomy only by name and only to certain areas, and that still remained under the political and judicial control of the GRP.
The Sultanate Government, in regaining our Independence is exhorting that we re-assert in effectively to occupying our lands and territories. Effective that:
- All register to the Sultanate- government.
- Revival of our Sultanate Government functions.
- Edification of our Nobility and Royal Titles.
- Continues and Peaceful acts of effective occupation.
- Many other acts of our sovereignty.
In Re-emerging out of suspension of our government functions, initial economic augmentation in form of contributions from the international community, the United Nations and even from Private sectors, promulgated by the Organization of Islamic Conference or OIC will bring about the appeasements to perspectives.
To His Highness’ People, pa manga Raayats sin Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo-Sabah iban manga sakup, pa manga kalasahan, gaus baugbug sin pamarinta hilah Islam amo in Sultanate sin Lupah-Sug iban manga sakup. Ayaw kamu mahukaw iban magduwaruwa, magad ha pag unahan ku sabab karnah matampal na iban matarang na aku, H.R.H. Sultan Sharif Maulana Paduka Ahmad Carpenter Arpa-V, in sabunnal Sultan sin kamu ha hulah natu kalasahan, magpasaplag sin kaadilan pamarinta.
The Holy Qur’an cites; “Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do righteous deeds that He will assuredly make them to succeed the present rulers and grant them vicegerency (appointed Governance as Administrative Deputy) in the lands just as He made those before them to succeeded others”., XXIV.55.
This Verse makes it clear that all believers have been conferred to bestow honor upon the caliphate, the reign and jurisdiction of a secular and religious sovereign head of state.
Pa manga Raayats sin Sultanate Lupah-Sug iban manga sakup, mura-murahan pangayuun ku tuud kaniyo ha ngan sin mahasutsi Allah, aku hambuuk da kuman Sultan sin kamu timunay sin kawajiban mangindaaki kaniyo manga kalasahan ku Raayats. Ibut-ibut maglasa-lasihi kamu, magmaap-maapi kamu iban baugbug natu in kapatut kiyatukbal katu ta niyo sin manga kamaasan natu ha tiranan sin agama Islam iban pamarinta kasultanan. Insha’Allah.
We shall not blink our eyes at the fact that our cultural heritage, customs and traditions are in danger of being lost, since foreign encroachments upon us. We shall not blink our eyes, for the light that first shined upon us before the making of the Philippine Republic in 1946 and the United States in 1776, was no ordinary light, but the light from the Nabi-prophet’s bloodline thru Sultan Sharif Ul-Hashim (Abu’Bkr, Zein Ul-Abidin Mohamad Shah) and into the establishment of the Sultanate of Sulu, our sovereignty in the basis of our religion-Islam and not by war and terror, bringing upon us the “Door to Mecca”-our Sultanate National Flag , the Sultanate that spread into string of Sultanates in the Muslim National Archipelago or so-called Philippine Archipelago and of His Royal Highness saving His faithful and loving people.
In the protection of His Highness’ Royal Immunity and Diplomatic Immunity, His Highness’ Royal Rights and Dignities, as by the conference of Kings and Heads of State and Government held in Rabat, and the two Prime Minister’s conferences held in Jeddah and Karachi; His Royal Highness stands and maintains the right as Sultan of Sulu/Maguindanao-Mindanao and North Borneo-Sabah Territories, and territories as by consanguinity-kinship blood relations, the territories ruled by His Highness’ forefathers and forebears. His Highness asserting His sovereignty and exhorting His country and state as being once again recognized totally, a constitutionally existing state, so, to play a great part in the world.
His Highness’, acts of sovereignty is hindered by foreign sovereign powers’ administration. His Highness’ sad sense of the disparity between with once Muslims and between GRP-foreign administering powers, His Highness is not included with their boundaries and pale of the making of their sovereignty of being a self-identified nation upon our nation, state and country. Nor is His Highness included in their glorious anniversary of July 4, 1946, now June 12th.
Their high independence only reveal the immeasurable distance from being once Muslims and between us. The blessings in which they are enjoying are not rejoiced in common with us, the original people now classified by them as minorities. Their rich “inheritance”, their justices, liberty, prosperity and independence are shared not by us. The sunlight of the Treaty of Paris of December 10, 1898 that has brought light and healing from Spanish atrocities and abuses, have instead, brought strides and death to the Sultanate Muslim National Archipelago and to its people. The June 12th 1898 (priory July 4th 1946) yearly anniversary of Philippine Independence day, the Philippine Republic rejoices, but we must mourn and strive for ours, return of total Independence.
As for transport, His Highness hardly set out on foot… and wanders about His territories; for the concept of His Highness, as Sultan, is not to be a “Man of the people”, but rather elevated above the people as the symbol of Muslim dignity. His Highness’ cause is reflective of the needs of His people, in the edification of His Highness’ constitutionally existing state and its Sultan, His Royal Highness’ position as secular religious sovereign head of state; to render to the world the recognition through ceremonial proclamation as the Sultan of Sulu and North Borneo, and territories as by consanguinity, also known as the Sultanate Suluk Negara or Sultanate of Sulu, Territories.
Wah Billahi Tawfiq Wal-Hidaya, wassalamu alaikum warahmatulahi wabarakatuhu.
H.R.H. Sharif Sultan Maulana Paduka Ahmad Carpenter Arpa-V
ibni Maharaja Adinda Taup Angging (Anddin) Zein Ul-abidin
Al-marhum Sultan Sharif Ul-hashim Abu'Bkr Mohamad Shah
Awang Anak Betatar
To the present, Muslims of our Sultanate National Archipelago or so-called Philippine Archipelago have had no choice being administered by foreign sovereign power/s supporting to have established the present Philippine Republic in July 4, 1946.
Our sovereignty deprived since foreign powers’ encroachments and under its sovereign jurisdictions taken upon us, our lands and territories, without our knowledge or consent, nor by representation. Our sovereignty as Muslims in the Sultanate National Archipelago, the very essence of our cultural heritage, customs and traditions, our identity that is mistakenly confused fo Pilipinos and mistakenly for non-Muslims, resulting to some of us adapting non-Muslim dispositions, by no choice at times just to have blended in with non-Muslims.
There is no question on the level of Muslimness. However, the question arises of our Muslim dispositions being administered by non-Muslims under non-Muslim laws-that is somewhat contrary to Muslim laws. Some laws that are contrary to Islamic-Jurisprudence in violation of our Adat-Law, that comes with mere consolation of appeasements to Muslims that are mind boggling in our disposition. Explains the lost of respect, principles and moral values, by some Muslims.
We were not even consulted by foreign powers’ sovereignty upon us, the original people of our lands and territories now classified as Minorities. The basis of Spain having taken over us was, accordingly the “Law of Krag” or “Law of the jungle”; whereby a territory was supposedly never been subjected by any sovereignty or state. Yet, Spain made Treaties with the Sultanate Sovereign head of State, the Sultan. So, the “Law of Krag” was never applicable or binding. Treaty Agreements signed with between the Sultanate and the United States in 1842(U.S. Exploring Expedition), with Spain’s protocol treaty in 1862, Bates Treaty in 1899 and Carpenter Memorandum in 1915 and after the fact was clearly indicative of our de’jure sovereignty recognized as an existing State.
If retrocession, a process of “giving back” our country supposedly ceded, this may be possible. However, our State and country was never ceded with our representation, nor by consent or as a contracting party. In International law, the law of Ecclesiastical or Ecclesiastical law, whereby a Highest Spiritual Leader or Secular Religious Sovereign Head of State takes precedence,(a sultan deduced to highest spiritual leader) and without abdicating the throne and/or abrogating the Sultanate, the latter stepping down in surrender becomes voided and a replacement have to succeed.
Synonymous in the 1915 Carpenter Memorandum Agreement when Sultan Jamalul Kiram-II surrendered to the American administration, in stepping down as sultan (did not abdicate the throne nor abrogate the sultanate) and in exchanged for a lifetime pension, deduced to Highest Spiritual Leader (by which a sultan is also such), he then has been voided and precedence takes on the replacement, Sharif Sultan Imam Ul-Alam Arpa, nonetheless the latter succeeding from his father, Maharaja Adinda Taup, the cousin-crown prince and heir-apparent of Sultan Pulalun. This is because a Sultan have both Temporal-political and Ecclesiastical-religious powers indivisible in nature by which Islamic States are founded.
For our sovereignty, and we should use all options, is the rule of self-determination, the free choice or cardinal principle out of colonialism. Spain’s encroachment upon us and sold us in the Treaty of Paris of December 10, 1898 to the United States of America without our representation or as being a contracting party, despite of recognizing us, as a de’jure sovereignty in written instruments of treaty agreements was unfounded and unwarranted.
We were and are deprived of our ability or power to make decisions for our sultanate sovereignty that we want. Especially the power of our nation to decide how it want to be governed. In other words, it is the unalienable and unalterable right to self-government without the dictation of any other government. This explains of the MOA-Memorandum of Agreement for Ancestral Domains, the MILF and the MNLF. We need our rights of national and democratic self-determination because of the explicit and clear invocation of natural law, the natural rights of man of consent to our truly independent sovereignty. It is because our will as Muslim Sultanate Peoples, is supreme above foreign (non-Muslims) sovereign administrations upon us.
With the U.S. victory in the Spanish-American war of 1898 and its growing stature in the world, the United states supported annexation of former Spanish colonies as Guam, Puerto Rico and moreover, the Philippines making the latter into another sovereign Sate, the Sultanate Muslim National Archipelago into the Republic of the Philippines without the consent of the Sultanate Nationals or people. And America retained “Quasi Suzerainty” with its military bases upon it.
Foreign powers encroachments and sovereign jurisdiction/s upon us for their maintained and expanded motives of making other nation their peoples and us as their peoples, all ignored any notion of self-determination of those being governed.
With Muslim Sultanate Nationalism, we shall free ourselves out of colonialism, regaining our independence. Self-determination is a natural right, our right to secede and re-exist as a separate State and country, existing as we did before foreign encroachments upon us. It is the right of all nations, including colonies to self-determination.
The interest of the United States in the Sultanate Muslim National Archipelago had no equal weight with the claims of our people in our defensive confrontations against foreign powers encroachments and jurisdictions upon us before and after the making of the Philippine Republic; whereby, only Manila decided upon to have placed the Muslim National Archipelago as part of their National territory. Spain and the United States are just as culpable, too.
In 1941, allies of world war-II signed the Atlantic charter and accepted the Principle of self-determination. In January 1942, twenty six nations signed the declaration by United Nations which accepted those Principles of Self-Determination. The ratification and founding of the United Nations charter in 1945 at the end of world war-II placed the right of self-determination into the framework of International Law and Diplomacy. It states;
- Chapter 1, article 1, part 2 states that purpose of the United Nations charter is: “To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights
And self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen Universal Peace.”
-Article in both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic Social and cultural Rights (ICESCR), both reads;
“All peoples have the right of self-determination by virtue of the right they freely determine, their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.”
-The United Nations universal declaration of human rights Article. 15, states that everyone has the right to a nationality and that no one should be arbitrarily deprived of their true Identity, or nationality or denied the right to change nationality.
So, are we really Filipinos or are we not Sultanate Muslim Nationals. It is obviously of our unchanging Islamic plural marriages and the veracity of our defensive confrontation against foreign encroachments that apparently influenced the turn-over by Spain of our country to the United States and the self-emergence of the converted Christians into the Philippine Republic granted self-government by the United States.
Evident of President Quezon’s memorandum that served notice, prohibiting any one to exercise sovereignty or sultanate government in the Sultanate Muslim National Archipelago in September 20, 1936 and to attract us away from the Muslim world and Malaysia, unfounded and contrary to the principle of self-determination. The civilized world-of-nations know which is right despite the former’s self-emergence to sovereignty.
It is because territorial issue and/or territorial disputes inevitably would lead to more conflicts and independent movements within a nation and challenges the assumption that territorial integrity (national territory) is as important as self-determination. It is but an assumption because self-determination is paramount.
Similar as the Soviet Union’s successful post-war efforts to have turned eastern Germany and the countries of Eastern Europe into Soviet satellite states in contrast with decolonization. The additional success of Communism or Communists in creating the Peoples Republic of China and the Soviet Union led to the Cold war with western Nations. These Western Nations became willing to have supported authoritarian governments as long as they remained anti-communist, and to have suspect all self-determination Movements of being Communist inspired or Controlled. Thus, the United States entered into a 10-year war in Vietnam, taking over or replacing the French colonists or colonies.
In essence, the Sultanate Muslim National Archipelago (so-called Philippine Archipelago) was deprived of our freedom from colonialism by the authoritarian government administering upon us and the other nations to the notion that self-determination was communist inspired and that we were to remained as part of their Democracy, contrary to seceding back to a Monarchial Sultanate State.
It was a sort of continuance of the September 20, 1936 memorandum of President Quezon’s that served notice stating that no one or group will exercise acts of sovereignty, particularly in Mindanao and Sulu, or of Sultanate government for the reason that Manila is the authoritarian government backed by a foreign power-USA, towards the making of the Philippine Republic.
Moreover, the 1987 Philippine Constitution just then incorporated the Mindanao and Sulu as part of its National Territory and political component. An explicit admission of the Philippine Republic having illegally included the Mindanao and Sulu as part of their National Territory from 1935 to 1971, practicing their Sovereignty, illegally upon us. The 1987 Philippine Constitution unrecognizing Muslim and Royal titles held by Muslims was evident of the issue us being Muslims and uses politics more that principle.
Our Self-Determination is under the mandate of International Law by which territorial integrity falls under, and not municipal law. As the case of the MNLF self-determination and the MILF MOA-AD, for ancestral domains, under International law were legitimate claims. The MOA-AD or Memorandum of Agreement for Ancestral Domains between the Philippine Government as by International Law was opposed by City Officials, particularly, by the Zamboanga City Mayor the latter allowed to stand in protest at the Supreme Court presenting a Petition to the government of not signing the MOA-AD and, accordingly, to should have nothing to do with rebel groups in the past, present or future, any sort of Agreement. Citing it to be unconstitutional and dismembering the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Philippine Republic, using Municipal law as its basis. The Mayor citing that he only stands for Zamboanga City alone .But tacitly displayed that he was also for the rest of Mindanao in the presenting of his petition to the Supreme Court; the Court repeatedly reminded him of only for Zamboanga. Yet, priory when the IMT-International Monitoring Team was to make base in Zamboanga for safety and sound meetings, the Mayor declined it stating that the IMT should be at the conflict areas and not Zamboanga because, he stated, that Zamboanga is not a conflict area, even to the fact that he opposed the City of Zamaboanga being a part of the ARMM-Autonomous Region on Muslim Mindanao. Thus, evident of the Mayor being unconcerned on this whole processes for Peace.
So, why would this Mayor get to even counter the MOA-AD when he already made it vividly clear that he has nothing to do with the Peace Process? The Governor of North Cotabato praised the Zamboanga Mayor stating, that he was jealous of him, but also is very proud that he represented us all. Who does he mean by US ALL? The Mayor should not have anything to do nor allowed in opposing using only Municipal Law. The Mayor was just at the verge of being reprimanded on that spot by the Supreme court Judge, when amicably agreed that the Mayor had to have retracted his petition and the GRP not signing the MOA-AD.. In essence, the petition was unfounded, so was the non-signing of the MOA-AD.
The year 2000 United Nations Millennium Declaration stipulated the rights of people which remained under colonial domination and foreign occupation. Our Sultanate Nationals in the Sultanate Muslim National Archipelago whether they like it or not, have to succumbed to a self-identified authoritarian government, the Philippine Republic that was established by a colonial power-USA in the Treaty of Manila between the non-Muslim populace self-identifying themselves as Pilipinos, with only one so-called Filipino Muslim representative for Mindanao and Sulu at the Manila congress, who refused to sign in favor of the making of the Philippine Republic. The agreement was signed by a non-Muslim constituent, slitting his wrist and taking his own blood as ink in the signing that carried the representation for the Mindanao and Sulu at the Manila congress. The Philippine Independence was declared on July 4, 1946 synonymous of the United States 4th of July, and its country Philippines, named after King Philip of Spain, a prior colonial power before the illegal entry of the United States upon our lands and territories, just when we were already free from Spanish domination.
The Sultanate Muslim Nation in the Sultanate Muslim National Archipelago is still under the domination of foreign power, since the coming of the Spaniards, the Americans and presently the self-identified Pilipinos. In as much as the Sultanate Muslim Nationals, our sovereignty, State and country was never abrogated or dissolved since its advent; constitutionally existing despite under foreign powers administrations. We were never represented in the making of the Philippine Republic, and in the Treaty of Paris between the United States and Spain, the latter that sold our lands and territories to the former, and without representation or by our consent and knowledge, hence, we are a separate people.
Whether we like or not, the protection and preservation of our sovereignty as Sultanate Nationals, our unalienable and unalterable rights, so, to affect the undeniable support to our Sultanate Government and its Sultan, the secular religious sovereign head of the Sultanate of Sulu/Maguindanao and North Borneo-Sabah territories, and territories as by consanguinity-Kinship blood relations, the territories ruled by His Highness’ forefathers and forebears.
We are self-evident as a separate people (from ethnicity, language, history, customs and traditions) or self-evident defined by “ties of mutual affection or sentiments”, example of “Loyalty”, or by mutual obligations among our peoples unanimously in support to our rightful government, the Sultanate Government and its rightful Heir.
The Philippine Republic, its nation, is a self-identified nation since July 4, 1946 supported by a colonial power-U.S.A., as compared to our already existing State with De’jure Sovereignty. This is evident as of entreaty entered with into treaties between Spain in 1862, the United States in 1842, 1899 and the Sulu Sultanate before and after the 1915 Carpenter Memorandum, and other entreaties submitted to the U.S. Congress as our Declaration of Rights and Purposes in 1926, reflective of our de’jure sovereignty.
There is no legal process to have drawn the Philippine Republic’s state boundary in July 4, 1946 proclamation of Philippine Independence, even if it was according to the will of the self-identified people in Manila without the concurrences by the Sultanate and its Muslim National People and the Sultan. Since we lacked representation or none at all, and being a self-evident of being a separate people, the right to secede was imminent. Moreover, because even that right, as by the authoritarian government administering upon us, that there is no, on what groups may constitute a seceding people as by their sovereignty, a sovereignty now recognized by international law. To them, secession in a “State” is only considered a domestic matter and not covered by International Law. Although we have the general right to secede suffering from injustices, secession is the appropriate remedy of last resort. The authoritarian government-GRP administering upon us, in order to avoid secession to create or revert back to a new state, the GRP decentralized or devolved greater decision-making power to new or existing subunits or autonomous areas. More limited measures included restricting our demands to the maintenance of our National Culture, such as the September 20, 1936 memorandum of President Quezon that served notice prohibiting any Datu or Sultanate government to exercise acts of sovereignty and the 1987 Philippine Constitution of the non-recognition of Muslim and Royal nobility titles. Granting to us only non-territorial autonomy in the form of national associations as the OMA-Office on Muslim Affairs, OWA and the ARMM-Autonomous Region on Muslim Mindanao; to which it assumes control over cultural matters, that is, would be available only to groups or people that abandoned secessionist demands while the authoritarian government would maintain political and judicial control and so long as the autonomous areas adheres to the territorial integrity of the GRP.
The contemporary theory of secession is landowners (Sultanate Nationals) have the right and should secede, especially people deprived of their unalienable and unalterable rights. Our Sultanate Muslim people are in unilateral secession either in actions, words and in thoughts with our psychological identity having the right against majority rule and is justified, considering the facts, and also because we allow and condone any group, within our territories of their secessionist actions.
Some sovereign states do not recognize the right to self-determination; however, then again some states do in their constitution and through granting greater autonomy and through secession. In the United States and in some other country, secession may be possible through by amending the constitution and to allow, in our case, a sort of Retrocession or “giving back” of our lands and territories that was ceded and/or transferred, back through either revolution or through consent . There had been more or less about twelve constitutions that had pass in the Philippine Republic since the time of General Aguinaldo (the time we were still fighting the Spanish colonizers). In the inclusion of the Mindanao (Maguindanao) and Sulu during the U.S. Commonwealth Government in the Philippines establishing the U.S. Department of Mindanao and Sulu in 1935 to 1946, and just recently incorporating the Mindanao and Sulu in the 1987 Philippine Constitution on account that there was no specified inclusion of the Mindanao and Sulu in the Treaty of Paris of December 10, 1898 negotiated only between Spain and the United States , the 1987 Constitution was clearly an admission by the Philippine Republic to have illegally made the Mindanao and Sulu, its people, as a political component of their territorial boundary.
So, why can not the Philippine Republic amend its Constitution, allowing the Retrocession or the Giving Back of our Lands and territories, our Ancestral Domains through consent and not thru revolution or secession.
With this process, the issue of proposed borders (to its original one under the Sultanate) may not prove controversial than the fact of secession. This is not a deal at the point of a gun barrel. It is merely the rightful persuasion from the rightful government.
The MNLF and MILF are victims of the self-identified nation, the GRP, its injustices. The MNLF manipulated into Autonomy only by name and only to certain areas, and that still remained under the political and judicial control of the GRP.
The Sultanate Government, in regaining our Independence is exhorting that we re-assert in effectively to occupying our lands and territories. Effective that:
- All register to the Sultanate- government.
- Revival of our Sultanate Government functions.
- Edification of our Nobility and Royal Titles.
- Continues and Peaceful acts of effective occupation.
- Many other acts of our sovereignty.
In Re-emerging out of suspension of our government functions, initial economic augmentation in form of contributions from the international community, the United Nations and even from Private sectors, promulgated by the Organization of Islamic Conference or OIC will bring about the appeasements to perspectives.
To His Highness’ People, pa manga Raayats sin Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo-Sabah iban manga sakup, pa manga kalasahan, gaus baugbug sin pamarinta hilah Islam amo in Sultanate sin Lupah-Sug iban manga sakup. Ayaw kamu mahukaw iban magduwaruwa, magad ha pag unahan ku sabab karnah matampal na iban matarang na aku, H.R.H. Sultan Sharif Maulana Paduka Ahmad Carpenter Arpa-V, in sabunnal Sultan sin kamu ha hulah natu kalasahan, magpasaplag sin kaadilan pamarinta.
The Holy Qur’an cites; “Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do righteous deeds that He will assuredly make them to succeed the present rulers and grant them vicegerency (appointed Governance as Administrative Deputy) in the lands just as He made those before them to succeeded others”., XXIV.55.
This Verse makes it clear that all believers have been conferred to bestow honor upon the caliphate, the reign and jurisdiction of a secular and religious sovereign head of state.
Pa manga Raayats sin Sultanate Lupah-Sug iban manga sakup, mura-murahan pangayuun ku tuud kaniyo ha ngan sin mahasutsi Allah, aku hambuuk da kuman Sultan sin kamu timunay sin kawajiban mangindaaki kaniyo manga kalasahan ku Raayats. Ibut-ibut maglasa-lasihi kamu, magmaap-maapi kamu iban baugbug natu in kapatut kiyatukbal katu ta niyo sin manga kamaasan natu ha tiranan sin agama Islam iban pamarinta kasultanan. Insha’Allah.
We shall not blink our eyes at the fact that our cultural heritage, customs and traditions are in danger of being lost, since foreign encroachments upon us. We shall not blink our eyes, for the light that first shined upon us before the making of the Philippine Republic in 1946 and the United States in 1776, was no ordinary light, but the light from the Nabi-prophet’s bloodline thru Sultan Sharif Ul-Hashim (Abu’Bkr, Zein Ul-Abidin Mohamad Shah) and into the establishment of the Sultanate of Sulu, our sovereignty in the basis of our religion-Islam and not by war and terror, bringing upon us the “Door to Mecca”-our Sultanate National Flag , the Sultanate that spread into string of Sultanates in the Muslim National Archipelago or so-called Philippine Archipelago and of His Royal Highness saving His faithful and loving people.
In the protection of His Highness’ Royal Immunity and Diplomatic Immunity, His Highness’ Royal Rights and Dignities, as by the conference of Kings and Heads of State and Government held in Rabat, and the two Prime Minister’s conferences held in Jeddah and Karachi; His Royal Highness stands and maintains the right as Sultan of Sulu/Maguindanao-Mindanao and North Borneo-Sabah Territories, and territories as by consanguinity-kinship blood relations, the territories ruled by His Highness’ forefathers and forebears. His Highness asserting His sovereignty and exhorting His country and state as being once again recognized totally, a constitutionally existing state, so, to play a great part in the world.
His Highness’, acts of sovereignty is hindered by foreign sovereign powers’ administration. His Highness’ sad sense of the disparity between with once Muslims and between GRP-foreign administering powers, His Highness is not included with their boundaries and pale of the making of their sovereignty of being a self-identified nation upon our nation, state and country. Nor is His Highness included in their glorious anniversary of July 4, 1946, now June 12th.
Their high independence only reveal the immeasurable distance from being once Muslims and between us. The blessings in which they are enjoying are not rejoiced in common with us, the original people now classified by them as minorities. Their rich “inheritance”, their justices, liberty, prosperity and independence are shared not by us. The sunlight of the Treaty of Paris of December 10, 1898 that has brought light and healing from Spanish atrocities and abuses, have instead, brought strides and death to the Sultanate Muslim National Archipelago and to its people. The June 12th 1898 (priory July 4th 1946) yearly anniversary of Philippine Independence day, the Philippine Republic rejoices, but we must mourn and strive for ours, return of total Independence.
As for transport, His Highness hardly set out on foot… and wanders about His territories; for the concept of His Highness, as Sultan, is not to be a “Man of the people”, but rather elevated above the people as the symbol of Muslim dignity. His Highness’ cause is reflective of the needs of His people, in the edification of His Highness’ constitutionally existing state and its Sultan, His Royal Highness’ position as secular religious sovereign head of state; to render to the world the recognition through ceremonial proclamation as the Sultan of Sulu and North Borneo, and territories as by consanguinity, also known as the Sultanate Suluk Negara or Sultanate of Sulu, Territories.
Wah Billahi Tawfiq Wal-Hidaya, wassalamu alaikum warahmatulahi wabarakatuhu.
H.R.H. Sharif Sultan Maulana Paduka Ahmad Carpenter Arpa-V
ibni Maharaja Adinda Taup Angging (Anddin) Zein Ul-abidin
Al-marhum Sultan Sharif Ul-hashim Abu'Bkr Mohamad Shah
Awang Anak Betatar
June 24, 2011
Republic of the Philippines
His Excellency, President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino-III
Malacańanang Palace
Manila, Philippines
His Excellency, President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino-III:
“Asalamu Alaikum Warahmatulahi Wabarakatuhu“
In view of His Highness Cause, diplomacy is deemed with due respect to your Excellency’s State administration, His Highness is in response to your copy furnished letters dated Nov. 4, 2010 to your National Statistic Office, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the National Commission on Indigenous People.
His Highness, the Sultan Suluk Negara is deeply appreciative of your office in response to His Highness’ letter dated September 10, 2010. It is also deemed of his Highness, the due respect towards the recognition of the Maguindanao-Mindanao and Sulu Sultanate State evident of its historical and legal basis, as still constitutionally existing, as by International law and Prescription law of His Highness’ existence, the Sultanate, in the Mindanao and Sulu as by consanguinity.
His Highness take, that your Office’ profound interest in Mineral Resources in the Sulu Sea, although of your recent discovery far reaching the Spratly islands and the Sulu sea, may be availed with amendments to edicts declared in the 1700 hundreths when His Highness’ forefathers first discovered, as being the Brunei Maharaja of the Sulu under the suzerainty of Bulungan-Johore or present day Brunei; His Highness’ forefather, Maharaja Anddin or Sayyid Nakhoda Perkasa Angging who begotted Maharaja Adinda Taup, the latter in 1859 was Highest Crowned Prince and Heir-Apparent to Sultan Moh. Fad’lun, better known as Pulalun.
Presently, as understand by Prescription Law, the sole entity of ownership lays on the Sulu Sultanate that had been placed into oblivion, when in fact is the key along with consultation with Brunei, the latter if not the only one availing of such Mineral resource to the present day.
The difference of the problem is the non-recognition of the Sultanate that has been hidden and/or ignored. The conflict in the Mindanao and Sulu, triggered by impending atrocities upon its people since the encroachments by foreign sovereign powers and in the making of Philippine Sovereignty State, forces by entities in the Mindanao and Sulu fighting defensive confrontations with its historical basis is extremely difficult to achieve for it would entail their recognition as such name entity thou fighting under the Sultanate basis and/or Ancestral domain. These entity or entities cannot achieve their Cause as such, whatever name they carry or under a Muslim Federation of states because of their coming forth in just this recent paradigm and not of an ancestral one. Naturally, opposition ensues. Tacitly these entities have acted as front liners and for His Highness’ Cause, however, deceivably recognizing Usurper-Sultans. Such recognition as since the 1862 Jamalul Agdam acclaimed to be Jamalul Alam who presented himself as the Sulu Sultan to two British subjects and as the son of Sultan Pulalun, and the former’s present so-called Private heirs, usurped while Sultan Pulalun was still alive, at the time.
Ending the confusion, in the case of legitimacy as to who is the present Sultan of Sulu; firstly, succession is by bloodline-kinship. Secondly, usurping-sultans either or by kinship are in pretext of the authoritarian Sultanate and are pretenders to the throne arbitrarily using whatever powers they think is theirs and using it in the name of the Sultanate government or its Sovereign Head of State. They either use their initiative for the Sultan or their fallibility by their own personal gain or default. Either recognize by contracting foreign powers, does not legitimize them as the Sultan, likewise, their agreement in treaties.
So, long as the Sultan (Sultan Suluk Negara) or His heir is existing, whether or not the latter shows His presence, He is still the first and foremost. In the 1915 Carpenter Memorandum Agreement between the U.S. Government Administration and a usurper, the latter giving up his supposed temporal powers or supposed authority to the Americans in exchanged for a lifetime pension and or positions with the administering power, the first and foremost Sultan or His heir was not a contracting party. After the said Agreement, replacing the said usurper, the sovereignty of the Sulu Sultanate was returned (indicated in the U.S. Archives) to the Highest Spiritual Leader, a Sultan Heir succeeding from Sultan Pulalun thru His Adinda or prince Heir-apparent (Maharaja Adinda Taup) the latter’s son, Sharif Sultan Imam Ul-Alam Arpa , who was, likewise, recognized as Spiritual Leader as by the Americans basis on the predecessor, usurper Jamalul Kiram-II, accepting his own medicament-deduced in the 1915 Agreement.
Thirdly, in Islamic Jurisprudence, the Sultan approves the certain actions of His people as appertaining and favourable to His Sultanate Kingdom and the 1915 Agreement is not. It is because a Sultan could never abrogate His sovereignty or his country as what did the very first ever Sultan and being the Highest Spiritual Religious head of a Monarchical State of Kingdom and is infallible; which was the very first institutional government in the world mandated by Divine Providence.
2
A Sultan abrogating his Country-State may just be as good as losing his or its country’s religion, which is unlikely or impossible for a Sultan to do being the Highest Spiritual Religious Sovereign Head of State.
A Sultan does not frontline defensive-confrontations. His Subjects does, even as Usurper, so long as it is favourable for the Sultanate Cause and not for the usurper’s personal gain or in enthroning himself, as by Islamic Jurisprudence. Whether the Sultan shows His presence, actions or responses or not, He is still the Sultan and Heir and not his front liner. Over the years since 1862, the Sultan’s presence was affected by usurpers as front liners. However, who had personal motives for personal gain. That is why the Sultanate Government functions were suspended and to this day, particularly, being under foreign administration. No Sultan could ever be bribed to giving up His temporal powers in exchanged for monetary lifetime pension or positions under a foreign administration or accepting to be deduced to, other than being a Sultan, by non-Muslim treaty party as such in the 1915 Carpenter Agreement using a mere memorandum instrument.
Likewise, the 1939 British High Court whereby Justice Macaskie ruled in favour of the so-called, “Private Heirs” giving judgement in 1957 does not constitute these private heirs or heir to be the Sultan of Sulu because sovereignty was not in issue…..even if sovereignty was in issue, that Court do not have the competence to rule on the issue of sovereignty. His Highness is the Sovereign Head of State of the Sultanate of Sulu and its territories, as by consanguinity; and as such a Sovereign Head of State for Perpetuity, as by International Law and Prescription Law. That is why there are Despots and not Oustee in a Monarchy as compared to a Republic. While the Sultanate government functions are suspended (in the replacing of religious law with civil law) beginning in 1862 after the Spanish Protocol Treaty, suspension of our government functions was to either to avoid or minimize the conflict between these two laws. Trying to regain our total sovereignty to what limits, the Sultan in Islamic-jurisprudence does not grab power especially during turmoil times. The 1862 Spanish Protocol Treaty whereby the Spanish were granted visiting rights upon the Sulu Sultanate territories did not meant that the Sultan abdicated or abrogated the Sultanate. However, usurpers ensued in coming forth grabbing for power and their recognition from foreign sovereign powers, as such, at the time, Jamalul Agdam/Alam presented himself as the Sultan signing and delivering North Borneo to two British subjects in 1878, and later the Spanish government proclaimed Harun Ar-Rashid as the Sulu Sultan for Spanish expediency and purposes.
Naturally at the time, foreign sovereign administration will recognized usurpers who favourably concurs with them, particularly, who cedes or have ceded their temporal powers as supposedly rightful authority for foreign power’s convenience as did in the 1878 Lease Treaty with usurper-Jamalul Alam, the 1915 Memorandum agreement by the Americans with usurper Jamaul Kiram-II and the 1962 and 1969 instrument of cession by the latter’s so-called “Private Heirs” transferring their claim of sovereignty to the Philippine President.
Group forces in Mindanao and Sulu as the MNLF and or MILF, whether they know it or not are front lining the Sultanate Cause. However, in their asking for a federation of a Muslim State or other than the Sultanate, may not be possible without the authority of His Highness. Otherwise it would be a repeat of the 1915 Carpenter Agreement and 1946 Manila Accord, without the knowledge or consent of the first and foremost Sultan as a contracting party.
3
His Highness, the Sultan Suluk Negara is, if not, the present “law making authority” of the Sulu Sultanate and its territories by consanguinity, and not through manmade law of succession or electoral processes, as in civil law, but as in Islamic-jurisprudence. This, if not, ends the confusion or the disillusion of those concerned. Insha’Allah.
The total recognition of His Highness as a non-Philippine Sultan or Philippine Senator nor as a Philippine Commissioner as did Usurpers; however, as a Suluan Sultan Citizen of His Highness’ Sultanate State, will bring about good changes for our government beneficial to its economic Cause with derivation from Mineral and natural resources from His Highness’ Sultanate territories.
The initial funding to enable His Highness’ providing indemnity compensation to His people and the un-suspension of the Sultanates’ government of Mindanao and Sulu, is provisional and saliently until totally functional as such. This will, if not bring total appeasement and harmonious diplomatic relations with our two countries. With distinct Citizenships, one may yell “Allah-u- Akbar” and the other “Mabuhay”, vis-a-vis.
His Highness is forced to what limits of sovereignty left for the preservation of his Highness’ people’s identity, culture, customs and tradition that is fast diminishing with the losing of values and principles under foreign sovereign administrations to the present….His Highness’ sole desire is that from a financial point of view, a reasonable source should be available to His Highness in order to relieve the distress and sufferings of His people in the particular way His Highness think right and not in the way that foreign sovereign administration and its military forces think right.
In order so, His Highness’ sovereign funds and sovereign properties be returned to His Highness’ Sultanate-government that is still constitutionally existing. The act and affect of such return should constitute this initial funding, so to bring about the Sultanate out of oblivion and to achieve progress and development in broad fields of human endeavour.
This way, justice done and justice served as His Highness is the symbol of Malay dignity, as belonging to the same racial stock, and as Highest Spiritual Religious Sovereign Head of Maguindanao-Mindanao and Sulu-Bornean Malays. It was morally indefensible to transfer the Sultanate to the Philippine Republic. Economically the Sultanate is more valuable than what foreign administrations or administration had supposed. Foreign administration, have to this day less reason to worry about the financial status of His Highness’ Kingdom. However, all that is needed is the initial capital to rebuild it until it becomes self-supporting.
Our appealing in our declaration of rights and purposes submitted to the United States Congress in 1926, we are justified in claiming sympathetic consideration of our views as to the future of our country, when U.S. Senator Beacon passed a Bill; the proposal of independence for the Northern Province of Luzon and Central Province of Visayas only; and not for Mindanao and Sulu.
4
In June 12, 1898 with General Emilio Aguinaldo’s declaring the proclamation of Philippine Independence, it was virtually stated in its preliminary statement that independence was declared for Luzon and Visayas only and with the exception of Mindanao and Sulu because Mindanao and Sulu are sovereignty States allied with against the Americans. Despite the honourable intentions expressed by Senator Beacon and the declaration expressed by Gen. Aguinaldo, the actions of the United States did not match the words of these two legal entities.
The 1915 Carpenter Memorandum was merely a memorandum and not the abrogation of the Sulu Sultanate State. Evident when the Americans, at the time, returned the Sulu sovereignty giving it to the Highest Spiritual Leader (Sharif Imam Ul-Alam Arpa) as indicated in the U.S. Archives.
His Highness is conscientious and assertive, occupying the Sultanate throne, exhorting the returning of the total sovereignty and independence of His Highness’ Monarchial State. Foreign sovereign administration should no longer remain complacent. Conditions have had risen, His Highness’ existence and His people’s forming into fronts, makes imperative of foreign administration and the international community to bring the Sultanate out of its stupor; so this country shall be great again and to play a great part in the world, as like, before the coming of the Spanish in our Muslim National Archipelago of Selurong-Luzon, Vigaya-Visayas and Maguindanao-Mindanao under the suzerainty of the Sulu Sultan, the latter with Brunei kinship suzerainty.
Ultimately, the initiative for Social, Economic and, most of all, political upliftment of the Sultanate lays at His Highness as the rightful Ruler and rightful government, the Sultan Suluk Negara.
Wassalamu Alaykum, Warahmatulaah .
SULTAN SULUK NEGARA
H.R.H. Sharif-Sultan Maulana Paduka Ahmad Carpenter Arpa-V
Ibni Maharaja Adinda Taup Angging (Anddin) Zein Ul-Abidin
Al-Marhum Sultan Sharif Ul-Hashim Abu’Bkr Sultan Mohamad Shah
Awang Anak Betatar
www.royalsultanate.weebly.com
Cc: Brunei Darussalam
United Nations Organization
United States of America
OIC
KSA
Malaysia
Indonesia
LETTER TO THE PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT
10 SEP 2010
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HIS EXCELLENCY BENIGNO C. AQUINO III
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
MALACAÑANG PALACE
MANILA
SUBJ: DIPLOMACY WITH 1898 PHOTO OF SULTAN PULALUN AND MAHARAJA
ADINDA TAUP MEETING WITH U.S. MILITARY GOVERNMENT
www.royalsultanate.weebly.com
HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT BENIGNO “Noynoy” AQUINO III :
In the light of your Excellency’s Administration upon the Mindanao and Sulu, its Muslims, the latter’s censorships on marriages, Talaqs/Divorce and particularly about Civil Law and Shar’ia Law whereby certain of its policies and/or jurisprudences are in conflict.
As understand, His Highness the Sultan of Sulu and North Borneo, H.R.H. Sultan Sharif Maulana Paduka Ahmad Carpenter Arpa-V Ibni Maharaja Adinda Taup Angging (Anddin) Zein Ul-Abidin Al-Marhum Sultan Sharif Ul-Hashim Abu’bkr Mohamad Shah happened to have had visited one of your Excellency’s government agency’s Office of the National Statistics Office or NSO at East Triangle and at West Triangle on 25th and 26th of March 2010, in the auspices of being just an ordinary Muslim from Mindanao and Sulu.
In the requesting to have stamped-receipted documents of His Highness marriages that has already priory endorsed by the Shar’ia Court on August 17, 2009. His Highness was constantly referred by one NSO-staff personnel to the other and between East Triangle and West Triangle NSO offices.
Each staff further referred His Highness to the other, and each giving His Highness the “go-around”. Yet, each making an issue (blown-out-of-proportion) about His highness’ plural marriages, prior to farther referring His Highness to another person- molded priory with intrigues and biasness about the case.
Late Friday afternoon on or about 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm, facilitation was finally rendered by Mr. Alberto Acosta, a registration officer, who had understood the very simple task of stamping-receipted documents, moreover, already sent by the Shar’ia court to the NSO, and as already admitted received on file by the latter.
Only Mr. Acosta’s facilitation is highly regarded and appreciated by His Highness as compared to all the referrals on the 25th and 26th of March 2010 and priory on 15th March 2010, first visit to NSO Metro-Manila. Undermined, particularly by the fourth floor Vidal Building so-called Care-officer seated adjacent to the entrance office door whereby she commented to His Highness, quote: “Kapal naman nila” unquote, referring to His Highness’ two wives, their marriages altogether on 10 April 2000 in one marriage ceremony. The fourth floor Care-officer also accosted the facilitation of Mr. Acosta the next day 26th March 2010 by stating to Mr. Acosta in the presence of His Highness, and stating, quote: “Ano! Favorito mo na yan, dumaan na yan sa akin at wala tayo magawa dyan.” Unquote.
Prior to Mr. Acosta’s facilitation, the front-desk-counter lady staff, when His Highness called upon her with the beginning statement of “Excuse me mam”, “Excuse me”, “Mam may I inquire of Edith Orcilla”, unquote; she totally ignored His Highness as she walked-by.
His Highness following her to the front-desk counter, she hided low behind the counter-desk when His Highness asked her if this was a government office.
She came forth giggling obviously already bias with intrigue of His Highness’ case, evident of her previously ignoring His Highness initial inquiry.
While at the East-Triangle NSO Office with a certain “Tess” who further referred His Highness upstairs to a certain “PTAA” person, the former who discloses to non-concern staff personnel about His Highness’ case farther creating intrigues in the manner behind His Highness. She was observed of the intriguing manner displayed when His Highness returned instantly to have asked her of who is to see upstairs.
The mumbles, hard looks and pretentious assistances, and seemingly helpful statements and referrals in that said two days, His Highness was given the “go-around” until Mr. Acosta’s intervention in having stamped-receipted His Highness’ Document copies.
His Highness first and second marriages at the States although the second marriage was in civil-law, the second marriage was dissolved in divorced. Subsequent marriages with Maricel and Erlynie, was on April 10, 2000 altogether. The Talaq/Divorced with Maricel was renounced in 2003, however, ratified by Shar’ia Court on July 28, 2009. His Highness’ remarrying Erlynie on 01 August 2009, for intents and purposes, due to our marriage in 2000 showing her as a co-wife, this recent marriage will show her as one and only present wife on August 01, 2009, His Highness fifth marriage.
The marriages last 2000 was only reflected in record file and in SECPA (Security Paper) on 2002. The Talaq/Divorce with Maricel of July 28, 2009, already endorsed by the Shar’ia District Court on August 17, 2009 is still not reflected with “annotation” by NSO. The marriage of August 01, 2009 with Erlynie, no SECPA document can be issued unless, first the termination of the 10 April 2000 marriage acquired with a co-wife, according to the NSO.
The remarriage with Erlynie on August 01, 2009 had to have occurred in order to have substantiated her as a beneficiary for intents and purposes as the one and only present wife accepted by civil law, other than having a co-wife, yet, NSO will not issue the 01Aug09 marriage with Erlynie on SECPA document.
In civil law, only one wife is permissible. While in Shar’ia Law, multi (plural marriages) are permissible. The latter due to or compelled by moral obligation as compared to one who refrains from marriage and abandons their pregnant women, common-law-wife or love ones.
There is by civil law, annulment of marriages which is lengthy process reaching up to seven years by legal separation. While in Shar’ia Law, there is Talaq or divorce usually instantly through the male renunciation of his marriage. What makes talaq/divorces lengthy is the incorporation of civil law policies such as, pre-separation agreement by both parties in signing and lengthy processes of hearings in Shar’ia Courts as mandated by Civil Law.
There is much incomparability, such as alleged crimes committed by a Muslim to another Muslim are tried in Civil Courts and not in Shar’ia Courts, whereby on some cases, the crime may really not be a crime in Shari’ia Law, and likewise could be the other way around .or vice-versa. In essence, Civil Law administering upon Shar’ia Law just couldn’t be, particularly on marriages with undermining veracity. Never mind each of its heritages, we might go by amiably, but our culture and religion are distinct.
Your Excellency, So not to be misinterpreted, our religion, our jurisprudence is an authoritarian-democracy as compared to an “everything-goes-democracy”, the latter, so long as one gets away with. Our Adat-Law violated, Law of Life-Ways as prescribed and mandated in the Qur’an thru His final messenger, and we have legal-alms. We also have dowry system and or similar in some cases, method in ensure the words of one are true in perspective, since words are cheap and getting cheaper nowadays. We have restitution-appeasement methods mandated and not retribution, gaining nothing from the dismayed, the latter even being sympathized with and rendered amenities, even personally. In short, church and government is indivisible.
How could one possible undermined Muslim culture, particularly, plural marriages to be so-called “taboo”, when non-Muslim social mores are derived from Muslim social mores or life-ways. Similarly, some visiting foreigners’ mores in the country are likewise regarded “taboo as by some of their cultural ways comprehended negatively by the locals. Theirs are also a culture and any negative notion should be kept in-though alone and not rendered to undermine. It is the basic respect to ones culture. So does in religion no matter where one goes.
The international standard and norm in professionalism on customer-service, its demeanor was hardly displayed by concern NSO staff personnel to His Highness inquiring and for assistances. It is apparent, that the undermining veracity displayed to His Highness by said staff, with the exemption of Mr. Alberto Acosta, was prompted due to His Highness’ Plural Marriages and no-doubt of His Highness being a Muslim. Yet, it is the NSO job in catering to Muslim censorships of Muslim personal laws of marriage as by Philippine Presidential Decree No. 1083.
The having incorporated the Mindanao and Sulu Muslim national archipelago with the Philippine Commonwealth Government since 1935, into the making of the Philippine Republic in 1946, and the making of it into a political component and delimited body politic as an integral national territory of the Philippine Republic’s in the 1987 Philippine Constitution with the non-recognition of nobilities titles held by some Muslims, are no less the sentiments of the Muslims of Mindanao and Sulu; moreover, the prejudice upon a Muslim merely in the asking of a stamp-receipted document copy given a difficult time, also perhaps experienced by other Muslims in similar cases as well at the NSO offices.
In the incorporating of the Mindanao and Sulu, the acceptance of the 1962 and 1969 Irrevocable Power-of-Attorney of a supposed Royal Family transferring their unsubstantiated claim of sovereignty as Sulu Sultan to the government of the Philippines for Philippine claims to North Borneo-Sabah (a Sulu Sultanate territory) for Philippine Sovereignty upon it; should have had positive empowerment to the catering to a Muslims in need and at the NSO or similar case.
In that acceptance, with all due respect, the said transfer and claim are volatile, evident of the unwillingness by Malaysia. The 1966 book, “The Philippines Turns East”, authored by former Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal who admitted through senator Sumulong’s statement explicitly expressing in details the nature of the Kirams’ claim being unfounded, and that the Philippine claim was, as such, Like the Treaty of Paris of December 10, 1898 whereby Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States, the former having had no proprietary-ownership. Adding that the 1957 claim by the Kirams in the High Court at Jesselton-Kota Kanibalu, North Borneo-Sabah as supposed “private heir/s” was awarded and sovereignty was not in issue… even if sovereignty was in issue, that court whereby Chief Justice Macaskie promulgated, as by international law, does not have the competence to rule on the question of sovereignty.
Considering the facts, the Mindanao and Sulu, perhaps, should hold its own censorship and re-established itself from suspension catering to Muslim affairs.
In the protection of such and of His Highness as by the conference of Kings and Heads of Government held in Rabat, and the two Prime Ministers’ Conferences in Jeddah and Karachi, His Highness royal immunity and diplomatic immunity are deemed, as a monarchial claimant without qualification in the protection of His people’s rights, and nobilities titles, the monarchy being the first ever institutional government, the Sultanate Government having De’Jure Sovereignty as by entreaty entered with by treaties since the fourteenth hundreds.
The said days of the 25th and 26th of March 2010 at the NSO, His Highness dilemma experienced are synonymously experienced by other Muslims in their bidding to non-Muslims, even for acceptance; His Highness which hardly availed of such from the predominant number of NSO staff personnel, their pretentious assistances, evident of the lousy demeanor displayed by most. His highness asked your Excellency, to affect a resolution to correct the wrong so to have Muslims under Philippine administration avail of equal rights with their counterpart, and due merit to those deserving. In the eyes of the civilized world, His Highness’ diplomacy and rightful persuasion is the appropriate method as by international law.
The Mindanao and Sulu, its Muslims hope to be dealt with in fairness as by appropriate international law as compared to municipal law, considering the facts; the dilemma and its causes, which are just the continuing chapters of centuries old roots.
Your Excellency Mr. President, with cordial due respect, bids your Excellency the very best to the resolve of these dilemmas and to the ultimate peace solution in placing back into perspective, the rights of Mindanao and Sulu, for its Muslims as just, rightful and moral, deemed upon them.
In other issue, His Highness have is presently face with a dilemma of preventing a possible encroachment on His highness’ usufruct-private land located at Sanghanan-Kabasalan, Zamboanga, Sibugay province. Accordingly, the present Governor there have readied mining quarry equipments to be use on privately owned lands citing to land owners that the bottom soil below grounds belong to the government, that he as Governor is doing the initiative of digging to find mineral resources for use in the development of his area of jurisdiction, as well for the province’s revenue.
Your Excellency, if this is true, His highness will definitely oppose to this. His Highness ask to see what your Excellency can do about this.
Also, in other Issue, His Highness is a claimant for His Highness’ Ancestral Domains. Thou a highest spiritual religious sovereign of the Mindanao-Maguindanao and Sulu, His Highness likely to have spearheaded His cause then to frontline it as what some of His adherents have done due to autocracies done upon His Highness; people in the past. As we know, that the present problems in Mindanao and Sulu are continuing chapters of centuries old. His Highness ask for the alleviation of the return of our total sovereignty as by U.N. Constitution. To enable Mindanao and Sulu to stand on its own, and to relinquished Philippine administration upon it. To returned it to its rightful owner and rightful government.
If the Kirams are the rightful government, their supposed forefather, the 1884-1915 Sultan Jamalul Kiram-II, why was it, the visible presence of Sultan Pulalun and his Adinda (Prince/Heir-Apparent), Maharaja Adinda Taup, was negotiated upon in 1898 by the U.S. Military Government. The appertaining plans to remove usurper-sultan Kiram-II (finally in the 1915 Carpenter Agreement) and to collect taxes from the people. The latter plan declined by Sultan Pulalun and His Adinda, evident of why the sultan or his replacement after the Carpenter Agreement was deduced to only Highest Spiritual Leader-Sharif Imam Ul-alam Arpa, the son of Maharaja Adinda Taup. In the civilized world, this rightful persuasion is highly deemed. Please do visit His Highness’ Website at Royalsultanate.weebly.com to judge for yourself, and judge well.
May your Excellency’s favorable actions be with Allah and in accordance to His Will… Wah Billahi Tawfiq Wal-Hidaya, Wassalamu Alaikum Warahmatullah.
Most cordially,
H.R.H. SULTAN SHARIF MAULANA PADUKA CARPENTER ARPA-V
Ibni Maharaja Adinda Taup Angging (Anddin) Zein Ul-Abidin
Al-Marhum Sultan Sharif Ul-Hashim Abu’Bkr Mohamad Shah
Sultan Suluk Negara
Cc: Brunei
OIC
USA
UN
Malaysia
KSA
H.R.H. Sultan Sharif Maulana Paduka Ahmad Carpenter Arpa-V
Ibni Maharaja Adinda Taup Angging (Anddin) Zein Ul-Abidin
Al-Marhum Sultan Sharif Ul-Hashim Abu’Bkr Mohamad Shah
(Sultan Suluk Negara)
Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo-Sabah
and
Territories as by consanguinity
www.royalsultanate.weebly.com
17 Sep 20
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
His Excellency, President Barack H. Obama
1600 Pensylvania Avenue NW
Washington Dc
Thru the Courtesy
Of: Ambassador, U.S. Embassy, Manila RP.
Subj: COPY FURNISHED OF DIPLOMACY LETTER TO PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT.
His Excellency, President Barack H. Obama:
“Asalamu Alaykum, Warahmatulahi Wabarakatuhu.”
In view of His Highness’ Cause and exhorting the return of total sovereignty of His Highness’ Country State, herein are copies of His Highness letter/s to Philippine President Benigno C. Aquino-III as copy furnished. In the hope of His Highness’s Cause, Your Excellency is hoped upon the heeding of His Highness’ rightful persuasion that permeate diplomacy may exist between His Highness’ state and His Excellency’s .
With cordial protocol as a non-existing state as by not a United Nations charter member, His Highness is a “deposed Sovereign” and is asserting his sovereignty upon His Highness’ Country, as well as exhorting the return of its total sovereignty. In the hope of your Excellency’s support, His Highness is willing to have audience with Your Excellency in the most convenient time in the near future, if all possible.
In the matter that this may be possible, His Highness may be reach at the above address and/or telephone no. 063 (062) 991-4437 or at Cellular phone no. 0908-318-1747 or 0908-537-9497.
When His Highness’ Cause materializes, it would give total appeasement to the Muslims of Mindanao, Sulu and North Borneo-Sabah as these are His highness’ ancestral domains ruled by His Highness’ forefathers and territories as by consanguinity.
In the Al-Mahdi, May Your Excellency’s actions be in accordance to Allah’s Will.
Wah Billahi Tawfiq Wal-hidaya, wassalamu alaykum warahmatullah.
Cordially,
HRH. Sultan Sharif Maulana Paduka Ahmad Carpenter Arpa-V
Ibni Maharaja Adinda Taup Angging (Anddin) Zein Ul-abidin
Al-marhum Sultan Sharif Ul-hashim Abu’bkr Mohamad shah
Awang Anak Betatar
www.royalsultanate.weebly.com
17 Sep 2010
His Excellency, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon
Secretary General
United Nations
42thStreet, New York, Ny.
Subj: COPY FURNISHED OF DIPLOMACY LETTER TO PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT.
His Excellency, Secretary Ban Ki-Moon:
“Asalamu Alaykum, Warahmatulahi Wabarakatuhu.”
In view of His Highness’ Cause and exhorting the return of total sovereignty of His Highness’ Country State, herein are copies of His Highness letter/s to Philippine President Benigno C. Aquino-III as copy furnished. In the hope of His Highness’s Cause, Your Excellency is hoped upon the heeding of His Highness’ rightful persuasion that permeate diplomacy may exist between His Highness’ state and the international community .
With cordial protocol as a non-existing state as by not a United Nations charter member, His Highness is a “deposed Sovereign” and is asserting his sovereignty upon His Highness’ Country, as well as exhorting the return of its total sovereignty. In the hope of your Excellency’s support, His Highness is willing to have audience with Your Excellency in the most convenient time in the near future, if all possible.
In the matter that this may be possible, His Highness may be reach at the above address and/or telephone no. 063 (062) 991-4437 or at Cellular phone no. 0908-318-1747 or 0908-537-9497.
When His Highness’ Cause materializes, it would give total appeasement to the Muslims of Mindanao, Sulu and North Borneo-Sabah as these are His highness’ ancestral domains ruled by His Highness’ forefathers and territories as by consanguinity.
May Your Excellency’s actions be in accordance to Allah’s Will.
Wah Billahi Tawfiq Wal-hidaya, wassalamu alaykum warahmatullah.
Cordially,
HRH. Sultan Sharif Maulana Paduka Ahmad Carpenter Arpa-V
Ibni Maharaja Adinda Taup Angging (Anddin) Zein Ul-abidin
Al-marhum Sultan Sharif Ul-hashim Abu’bkr Mohamad shah
Awang Anak Betatar