MANILA, Philippines -- Philippines' claim to Sabah, which was first made during the term of President Diosdado Macapagal in 1962, has been pending in the International Court of Justice and the Aquino administration should aggressively pursue it, Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy (PCID) Director Amina Rasul said.
"Here we are engaging China over Spratlys which is a tiny rock as compared to Sabah and we're not going to pursue Sabah when we have historical documented rights over it?" Rasul told ANC.
Rasul said she also believes the government's inaction on the Sabah issue has forced the Kirams to take matters into their own hands.
"Malaysia of course is saying that this is infringement of their sovereignty, you go in there without a passport. But for the Sultan of Sulu who claims and who maintains to this day that that is their territory, they're just visiting an estate. It's pretty much like you own a piece of property in Cavite and you want to go there, why do you need a passport?"
"Most of the residents of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, and Basilan who form part of the Sultanate of Sulu support that contention. We have always held that Sabah is ours," she said.
ANC Headlines, February 23, 2013
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