Last February 9, following orders, more than 100 armed followers of self-professed Sultan JamalulKiram III from Sulu, an island province located in the southwestern Philippines landed on the Malaysian state of Sabah to claim a land that has been disputed in the international courts for several decades.

 

According to news reports, the sultanate’s followers seized control of the village of the village LahadDatu, and have now been surrounded by Malaysian security forces. Deaths have reached the tens as the conflict threatens to pit Malaysia-residing and Filipino Tausugs, the country’s fiercest Moro tribe, against the Malaysian security forces.

 

In an attempt to drive the sultanate’s followers out of the resource-rich island,Malaysia has opted to use force, allowing helicopters and planes to bomb the village, civilians, rebels and all.

 

While the Aquino administration has arranged transportation and promised the enraged sulatan who receives 5,300 Malaysian ringgits, roughly around Php 69,000, for a year’s rent payment for the use of the island, it has failed to address the real problem.

 

Earlier this month, Aquino called the rebels to surrender “without condition.” As of March 7, 2013, 30 Filipinos and several Malaysian security forces have died as a result of the conflict. The president has also condemned Kiram’s choice to take weapons as a means to resolve the conflict.

 

While the Philippine government should promote peace and an amicable solution for both countries, it must understand that Sabah has long been claimed as Philippine territory. When the sultanate of Sulu agreed to be part of the Philippine government, it came with the understanding that all lands owned by the sultanate would be considered part of Philippine land. Hence, the burden of defending Philippine soil lies with the government.

 

The Philippine Constitution of 1941 states that the country’s territory includes, “all other areas which belong to the Philippines on the basis of historical rights or legal claims,” which includes the island of Sabah, which was federated along with other islands to form Malaysia in 1963.

 

Malaysia also has a claim to the land, given that many of its people have lived in the land for decades. Many inhabitants of the area have invested their lives into the disputed land. They have families, friends and livelihoods.

 

But while the conflict, which started with a translation dispute to a possible civil war against a Philippine Moro tribe, has become riddled with arguments and finger pointing, one thing is clear.

 

Filipinos are dying in Sabah, and the government has refused to take responsibility for its citizens. It has allowed the onslaught of Filipinos who are doing the country’s job—protecting Philippine land.

 

Malaysian security forces, however, cannot be blamed for the incident since Kiram’s forces could really pose a great security risk given that they have brought weapons, but the conflict has gone further than security concerns.

 

The Regional Human Rights Commission (RCHC) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao last March 13, 2013 has started documenting human rights abuse complaints of many Filipino Sabah evacuees. The Malaysian government needs to respect and understand that Filipinos also have a claim to the land, or at the very least, the government needs to respect them as people or provide them the proper protection from the looming civil war.

 

But again, the main issue is the Philippine government’s lack of political will to pursue a claim through international law as it claims it would.To add insult to injury, the Department of Justice last March 15 filed charges against 38 of Kiram’s supporters who planned to go to Sabah.

 

The Philippine government should start making moves to solve the problem, and while promoting peace is a step in coming to a solution, the government has to first win the trust of its people.

 

The Sabah claim has been passed on from president to president, but progress has been slow if not stagnant, but this incident is different. Filipinos are dying; they are being oppressed; and they run the risk of never seeing their homeland again.

 

This is no idling matter.