Two years ago, the Paris-based International Arbitration Tribunal awarded almost $15 billion in restitution to the heirs of the Sultanate of Sulu. The Sultanate had filed a suit against Malaysia for breaches relating to the lease of Sabah.
The ruling is based on the 2010 Arbitration Rules of the United Nations Commission on International Law and is considered a landmark decision. Malaysia is contesting the ruling, as may be expected.
Our policy on the Sabah question may have shifted. Nevertheless, Republic Act No. 5446 defines Sabah as territory “over which the Republic of the Philippines has acquired dominion and sovereignty.” The law, enacted in 1968, still stands and we do not really know what to do about it. The sovereign claim of the Republic and the private claim of the Sultanate are separate and distinct. The arbitration court ruled on the private claim and awarded the Sultanate $14.92 billion as “restitution value of the rights over the leased territory.”The most recent Pulse Asia national survey, released before the Holy Week break, will have tremendous repercussions on the current effort to introduce amendments to the 1987 Constitution.
The survey findings clearly disappointed the most ardent supporters of Charter change. Some have argued against the validity of the survey findings. Besides, Charter change became a contentious issue only over the recent weeks after clergymen spoke against it, demonstrations were called and nationally visible politicians took more sharply defined positions. Before the matter of amending the Charter was drawn into the whirlpool of political contestation, it might have been easier for our citizens maintain a more tolerant disposition on the Charter change effort.
Although there have been several attempts to introduce amendments to the 1987 Constitution, considering all its obvious faults, there has been little effort in public education. Enlightening the public, although painstaking, is unavoidable.Merlee Jayme’s book ‘Ten Talks, Ten Cities’ launches in SM Aura’s Book NookMany people returning from their Holy Week break or first summer vacation are regretting their return to the work place.
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