The Sultan who Resurrected the Philippine Claim on Sabah
by Jose Rizal M. Reyes / poet-philosopher, Philippines / October 20, 2015
“ Today marks his second year of physical absence… I just couldn’t thank him enough for the love and the name he has given me. Rest assured that as his daughter I will forever stand by his principles. May Allah reward him with paradise.”
This is the message posted by Princess Jacel Kiram in her Facebook wall on the second death anniversary of his father, Jamalul Kiram III, sultan of Sulu and North Borneo. North Borneo is more popularly known as Sabah.
The Sabah Homecoming
Sultan Jamalul Kiram III (born July 16, 1938; died October 20, 2013) is the 33rd sultan of Sulu. He gained national prominence and international attention in 2013 when he sent a 235-strong sultanate force — officially named Royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo — to the sultanate’s traditional territory in the large island of Borneo down south in what became known as the Sabah Homecoming, usually dubbed by the press as the Lahad Datu Standoff.
Because of the courage and sacrifice of the Tausug homecomers led by the sultan’s younger brother, Rajah Mudah Agbimuddin Kiram, the dormant if not dead claim of the Philippines over Sabah miraculously rose to vibrant life once again. (“Rajah Mudah” means “crown prince”, “heir apparent” or “designated successor”.) Many Filipinos — Christians and Muslims alike — rallied to defend and support the cause of the Sulu sultanate despite hostility from the Aquino administration which openly sided with Malaysia.
The Sulu sultanate
The sultanate of Sulu was founded in 1405 and gained independence from the Bruneian empire in 1578. At its height, it covered many islands in the Sulu Sea; parts of Mindanao; Palawan and the Spratly islands; and northern portions of Borneo that roughly correspond to present-day Sabah and North Kalimantan. The coming of several Western powers during the 16th century up to the turn of the 20th century diminished the strength of the sultanate. In 1962, it formally ceded and transferred sovereignty to the Republic of the Philippines without prejudice to the heirs’ proprietary rights.
Ancestry and early life of Jamalul
Jamalul was born in Maimbung, Sulu during the Commonwealth era, that period of our national history when the Philippines was still under the American flag but our country was already being prepared for self-government. He was the eldest son of Datu Punjungan Kiram who in turn was the second son of Sultan Mawallil Wasit. He is descended from the first sultan of Sulu.
Like the king of Jordan and many other Muslims around the world — both rulers and commoners, both clergy and laymen — the Sulu sultans claim Hashemite ancestry and thus direct descent from the prophet Mohammed. The Hashemites trace their bloodline to Hashim ibn ‘Abd Manaf, the great-grandfather of Mohammed. But nowadays, the term “Hashemites” refers chiefly to the descendants of Mohammed’s daughter, Fatimah.
The future sultan studied in Jolo Central Elementary School from 1946 to 1951. He finished his secondary education at the Sulu High School in 1955. He took up pre-law from 1956 to 1958 at the Notre Dame of Jolo. He then proceeded to study law at the Manuel L. Quezon University in 1964 but apparently, he was unable to finish it. He later became a businessman.
His brothers succeeded him as sultan; his daughter inherited his mantle
When Sultan Jamalul died two years ago, he was succeeded as sultan by his two younger brothers — first by Esmail Kiram II; and after the latter’s recent death, by Phug Dal Kiram. It is a succession arrangement reminiscent of Saudi Arabia’s series of brother-to-brother succession.
Nevertheless, by virtue of her growing popularity and her intense commitment to continue what his father fought for, Princess Jacel Kiram is seen as having inherited the moral and spiritual mantle of her father. Ever since the audacious and semi-legendary Sabah Homecoming, Princess Kiram has been a favorite speaker in schools, TV shows, congressional hearings, political assemblies, conventions of local government officials, and other gatherings.
A unifying force is born
Today, Princess Jacel Kiram is the leading proponent for asserting Philippine sovereignty over Sabah. She is also regarded as a unifying force by many Filipino supporters both here and abroad. As Erlinda Dolly Tan, a Filipino immigrant to Canada, said in an open letter published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer several weeks ago:
“We need Princess Jacel. The country needs Muslims like her. There has been so much religion-driven misunderstanding in the country in the past few decades. It has affected lives, it has affected our economy, it has affected tourism, it has affected the growth of our nation. We need Princess Jacel to bridge the gap. We need her to connect Mindanao to the Visayas and to Manila.”
Being the daughter of a Moro sultan and a Christian-born mother named Celia Hicarte who traces her roots to Bicol and Pangasinan, Princess Kiram has a historic duty — and is imminently suited — to serve as a unifying force for our country. Perhaps presaging her future historic role as unifier, her name Jacel itself is the unified version of her parents’ name Jamalul and Celia.
Bringing the fight for Sabah to a higher level
Due to the urging of friends and supporters, Princess Kiram recently decided to bring the fight for Sabah to a higher level. She filed her senatorial candidacy for the 2016 elections in order to bring her patriotic advocacy to the attention and approval of the Filipino electorate. It is now up to the people to respond to the challenge and take up her cause as their own.
A message to Sultan Jamalul Kiram III
Some country aggressively and shamelessly invents stories to justify spurious territorial claims. But here we are Filipinos, we have a valid and legitimate claim over Sabah and yet we have been remiss in asserting our rightful sovereignty over this territory that was obtained and hallowed by the courage and sacrifice of our southern countrymen — the brave Tausugs and their allied tribes. What kind of a nation are we? More importantly, what kind of a nation do we want to be?
In closing this brief essay, let us deliver our own message to Sultan Jamalul Kiram III and the loyal followers of the sultanate who crossed over to the Great Beyond before their dream had been achieved, especially those who died during the Sabah Homecoming. Here goes:
“Please rest assured that your labors and sacrifices have not been in vain. Today, Princess Jacel Kiram and a growing number of Filipinos — Muslims, Christians, Lumads and whatever else — have committed and consecrated themselves to continue the noble, heroic and patriotic fight you have begun!”
