Sen. Marcos to Aquino: Protect sultanate first, discuss Sabah claim later

President Benigno Aquino III

MANILA, Philippines — The sultan of Sulu and his supporters in Sabah have found an ally in Senator Ferdinand “Bong-Bong” Marcos Jr., who called on the Aquino administration to “protect” first the sultanate before discussing the country’s claim over the disputed land.
“We, as a republic, have a claim over Sabah since the 1960s. We have a historical claim over Sabah and that’s a fact,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

“But whatever else the issue there may be,  the sultan of Sulu and his people are Filipino citizens and by virtue of the fact, they deserve protection from the government of the Philippines,” he said.

But before discussing about the country’s claim over Sabah, Marcos said the government should first protect its citizens in the disputed land.

“We should talk to Malaysians to spare the Filipinos from harm or harassment and to resolve this matter peacefully,” he said.

“First and foremost, it’s the responsibility of the government to protect its citizens,” the senator added.

Marcos is the son and namesake of late strongman Ferdinand Marcos.