The high seas off Sabah...

Malaysia has given the armed Pinoys another 48 hours, 2 days less than what was requested by Manila, to leave Sabah before all parties involved in the conflict can find their way to the meeting table.

However, they are unlikely to leave. Adding to the standoff is support from some political leaders in the Philippines and news report that 'substantiates' Sulu claim over Sabah. Malacanang's stand is to see them leave and drop the claim until a new round of negotiation can begin.

And there they are, Manila is split when some parties still pursue such a claim, clinging to old and obsolete facts of history. Read this:

..."But it was not until 1962 that the Philippines (under Diosdado Macapagal) tried to flex its muscles, with Indonesia an ally (Indonesia wasn’t too keen either on North Borneo being part of the Malaysian Federation, seeing as almost the rest of Borneo is part of Indonesia).  And here another good guy must be identified:  journalist Napoleon Rama, whose series of articles in the Philippines Free Press titled “North Borneo Belongs to Us” raised an uproar and galvanized public opinion. 
Then there was Jovito Salonga, who led the legislature’s support for the cause. Macapagal even wrote then US President John F. Kennedy, presumably seeking his help, and began talks with Britain (not much happened). Not so trivia:  Macapagal mentioned in his letter that Sabah is only 18 miles from the Philippines and 1,000 miles from Malaya (the Malayan peninsula). 
The move to end Malaysia’s “hegemony” obviously petered out. But what I cannot understand at this point is why our government seems to be unduly anxious to please Malaysia. When the Philippines was to host the Asean, then Sen. Letty Shahani introduced a bill in the Senate proposing to give up our claim to Sabah. (This was stopped in its tracks by Jovito Salonga, who said that any giving up of claims must be conditioned on the protection of the proprietorial rights of the Sultan of Sulu.  When the Malaysian king came a-visiting, there was also another move to give up our claim, but Congress apparently refused to cooperate.) 
This eagerness to please is particularly puzzling, because Malaysia has been, if anything, rather arrogant insofar as the Philippines is concerned.  One remembers that 1,200 Filipino domestic helpers were rounded up in a Catholic church in Malaysia as they were attending Mass. But never mind religious sensibilities. What about its arrogance with regard to the peace talks, trying to tell us what to do or what not to do?  Or, the latest, its refusal to turn over Aman Futures’ Manuel Amalilio?

Remember when Saddam Hussein launched a military invasion on Kuwait in 1990 for claiming the kingdom as 'once an Iraqi land', the war over Falklands and the former Yugoslavia? It resulted in bloody wars!

Turning back the clock will even permit Malaysia to put its claim on Singapore, the British over Hong Kong or the Aborigines for Australia.

The writer is digging up every second of history so that the Sulu sultanate claim on Sabah prevails. But he forgot a fact that part of the reason the Sulu 'invaded' Sabah was the bad treatment they have been getting from Manila.

Raising up the maids issue rounded up in a Catholic church in Sabah was rather improper as the Muslims in Mindanao were also subjected to religious prejudice. So, why must we raise the issue of religion just to find a match to the Sabah incident?

The world is subscribing to diplomatic channel when it comes to territorial claim. We respected the decisions by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) when Pulau Batu Puteh was awarded to Singapore. The Indonesians too, when Sipadan and Ligitan were given to Malaysia.

Some facts of history remain unsolved but some need a comprehensive mind to weigh it. We cannot depend on history in pushing for our claim. There are major accompanying diplomatic aspects that need to be looked into... 

Maaari naming pumili ng kaibigan o foes.Gayunpaman, sa Malaysia-Pilipinaskaugnay, ang pinakamahusay na panatilihin namin kung ano na ang atin ...