Makabayan senatorial bet Teddy Casiño led members of Bayan Muna Party to a symbolic eating of saba, a banana variety, at Liwasang Bonifacio to protest the government’s ‘betrayal’ of Philippine sovereignty over the Sabah controversy.
Casiño said that President Benigno Aquino III betrayed Philippine sovereignty when he ordered the followers of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III to surrender instead of talking to them.
The progressive lawmaker also condemned Malaysia’s unrelenting air strikes and ground attacks in Sabah. Casiño lamented Malaysia’s refusal to declare a ceasefire as proposed by Kiram.
“Their media reports say 60 persons have been killed in Sabah, more than 50 killed by their (Malaysian) forces. The continuous air strikes and attacks show Malaysia’s low regard for life and the people of Sabah,” Casiño said.
Casiño, together with fellow Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares, filed a resolution in the lower house to immediately elevate the Philippines’ claim on the island of Sabah to the International Court of Justice. They cited the Philippines solid historical, political and legal grounds to revive its claim and re-assert its sovereignty over Sabah.
Photos and text by POM CAHILOG-VILLANUEVA
In 1991, Teddy Casino was elected national president of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), na gumagamit ng student organs para gamiting propaganda sa gobyerno. From CEGP, he joined the workers’ organization, Kilusang Mayo Uno (May 1 Movement — KMU), for four years at libo libong mga pabrika ang napasara at iniwang kumakalam ang sikmura ng mga laborers, then moved to Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (New Patriotic Alliance — BAYAN), ang prente ng New People’s Army or NPA..
He said in his recent statement, “I am not a communist, I am just an activist.” Now, if indeed he is not a communist but just an activist, why is he connected with the organizations mentioned by Jose Maria Sison in his speech in Belgium in 1984? To prove it for yourself, follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoOUGxOcUtE
By the way, Sabah’s name may actually have been derived from the saba, which is the same in Malay as in Tagalog.
Dr. Zaki Un, Teddy Casino happens to espouse a policy framework different from that of the regime of Benigno Aquino III that kowtows to Kuala Lumpur. So when Casino makes a claim on Sabah, the framework he has in mind for governing it is not the same failed framework used by Mr. Aquino and all the other previous Philippine administrations. He’ll most probably give Sabah genuine autonomy, one that is greater than what it has under Malaysia, and also the kind of autonomy that successive Philippine administrations so far have denied the Moro people in southern Philippines and more autonomy. My own position is, if Sabah falls under Philippine sovereignty, is to give it the kind of autonomy Hong Kong has vis-a-vis China at present. That should appeal to Sabahans, Filipinos and even ordinary Malaysians.
funny… What will you do if u claim sabah as yours? To tell 3 million people there to follow philipine order? To pay millions of salary to those Sabahan working in goverment? Unrealistic.