Thursday, May 24, 2012

SULTAN OF SULU HISTORY


NOTE: SOME OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS DOCUMENT WERE CORROBORATED BY THE PEOPLE I TALKED TO INCLUDE; MUEDZUEL-LAIL "BUTCH" KIRAM, DR. CELIA KIRAM (SULTAN JAMALUL'S WIFE), SENIOR MNLF OFFICIAL (I'M NOT NAMING HIM SINCE MNLF IS NEUTRAL), ASSISTANT TO THE GOVERNOR OF SULU, A FRIEND WHO IS 100% TAUSUG FROM SULU AND WHO IS CLOSE TO THE KIRAM FAMILY. FOR A COMPLETE HISTORY, FEEL FREE TO CLICK ON THE WEB LINK BELOW. THE LINK IS COMPLETE WITH DOCUMENTS AND PICTURES OF DIGNITARIES LIKE SENATORS PIMENTEL, DRILLON AMONG OTHERS. SCROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN WHERE IT EXPLAINS WHY FUAD IS NOT A LEGITIMATE CLAIMANT AND MORE.
In 1974, Sultan Esmail Kiram I died in Jolo. By this time, blazing warfare between Moro and Filipino soldiers was raging in Sulu. In addition, the secret plan of the Philippines to invade North Borneo had ended in the Jabidah Massacre of 1968, and there was suspicion and uncertainty everywhere in the region. Because President Ferdinand Marcos had declared Martial Law I 1972, Crown Prince Datu Punjungan had already fled to North Borneo and dared not return to claim the Sultanate. 


Thus, emissaries from President Marcos traveled to Jolo to identify and select a new Sultan. They asked Abraham Rasul, the husband of Santanina Rasul, who should be the next Sultan, in as much as they could not find Datu Punjungan. At the order of President Marcos, a selection committee was formed. 


This group chose Muhammad Mahakutta Kiram as sultan in 1974. They chose him because he was the first so of the second wife; and since they were unable to find Datu Punjungan, Datu Mahakuttah became Sultan, though not in accordance to standard rules. It was well known that the Crown Prince was alive, thus no new Sultan should have been crowned. This intervention by Manila has had exactly the effect which the Government of the Republic of the Philippines sought, which was to divide and control the people of Sulu. To this day, the competing claims to being Sultan stem from the interference by Manila.
Sultan Muhammad Mahakuttah Kiram - 1974‐1980
Sultan Mahakuttah was brought to Manila, where he was well financed by President Marcos, lived in the Aurelio Hotel in Mabini, and received a large allowance. He played a large role in recommending to President Marcos who could bring in barter trade goods, with approval by the Southern command officer in charge. While living in Manila, Sultan Mahakuttah fell prey to all vices. Finally, he married Mercy, a Christian woman in Pampanga.  
In 1976, Sultan Mahakuttah began to lose favor with President Marcos because the “Magic Eight” commanders of the Moro National Liberation front had surrendered to Marcos. They began to get funding, not Sultan Mahakuttah. When martial law ended in 1980, Crown Prince Punjungan returned to North Borneo to Jolo. The Ruma Bechara, along with all the Datus and the leaders of the different municipalities of Jolo, gathered in Jolo to proclaim Datu Punjungan as the rightful Sultan.  
At that time, they also proclaimed Datu Jamalul Kiram III as Rajah Mudah. Sultan Mahakuttah was present at the gathering in Jolo and willingly renounced the Sultancy in favor of his uncle, Sultan Punjungan. Sultan Punjungan reigned from 1980‐1983, and died a natural death in Zamboanga City. Buried in Maimbung, Sulu, the ancestral capital of the Royal Sultanate.  
Before he died, he wrote a Will of Testament, that all rights of administrative over all his interests shares and participation in all the properties of the Sultanate of Sulu, including its proprietary rights and interests over Sabah, formerly known as British North Borneo, are conferred to his son Datu Esmail Dalus Kiram.
Sultan Punjungan Kiram - 1980‐1983
Upon Sultan Punjungan’s death, Crown Prince Datu Jamalul Kiram III was proclaimed Sultan by the council of Datus Simultaneously, Datu Esmail Kiram was proclaimed Rajah Muda, or Crown Prince.
Sultan Jamalul Kiram III - 1984‐2001
Even before becoming Crown Prince or Sultan, Jamalul Kiram III had taken up residence in Manila and married a Christian woman named Celia, as his second wife. Under the doctrine of “Astanah ha Lupah Sug,” which requires the Sultan to reside in Jolo, the people expected Sultan Jamalul Kiram III to move back to Jolo. However, he never did.  
After leaving Jolo in the late 1970s, Sultan Jamalul Kiram III never re‐established a residence in Jolo. In fact, when his own son fro his first wife, Caroline Tulawie, died in Jolo, he returned briefly but stayed with his brother, Rajah Muda Datu Esmail Kiram.  
Over a period of twenty years, Sultan Jamalul Kiram III returned to Jolo only once or twice per year for brief visits. During his visit to Jolo when his son died, the Ruma Bechara advised Sultan Jamalul Kiram III to step down in favor of Rajah Muda Datu Esmail Kiram. It was subsequently agreed that Sultan Jamalul kiram III could retain the title of Sultan, but that Rajah Muda Esmail Kiram would be Sultan in fact in Sulu and North Borneo.  
It was agreed that if Sultan Jamalul Kiram III decided to return to Jolo, he would be reinstated as Sultan, a process familiar to the Sultanate because of events surrounding the Sultanate of Azim ud‐Din I or Sultan Aliuddin I, in the 1750s. This Sultan was kept in Manila by the Spanish for many years, and during his absence another man became Sultan. But when Alimuddin I was able to return to Jolo, he was reinstated as Sultan.  
A written agreement concerning the stepping aside of Jamalul Kiram III was promised in the Jolo meeting. It has yet to be delivered.
Sultan Esmail Kiram II - 2001‐to Date
Esmail Kiram II was crowned in Jolo in 2001 after he was found to be in compliance with all the rules of succession. His younger brother, Agbimuddin, became Crown Prince.
Datu Fuad Kiram I - FAKE CLAIMANT, pretending to be sultan of Sulu (shown in picture)
In 2006, Fuad Kiram was proclaimed in Maharlika Village as Sultan of Sulu. Though a fine man, he does not meet the traditional requirements.  
First, he was never proclaimed as Rajah Muda. When Fuad’s elder brother, Mahakuttah, became Sultan the person who was named Rajah Muda was Muedzul‐Lail K 
Second, Fuad is not a resident of Sulu, but lives in Angono, Rizal.  
Third, his mother is not of royal blood. 
Administrator's note: We have received a comment from the camp of Rajamuda Muedzul-lail Kiram, whom we consider as one of the legal therefore genuine claimants to the Sulu throne contesting this 4th reason. The party of the Rajamuda insists that the the mother of Fuad Kiram, therefore, grandmother to the Rajamuda Muedzul-lail Kiram who is nephew to Fuad Kiram, is of royal blood.
In the spirit of parity and editorial fairness, we are publishing hereunder the exact comments of Mrs Farida Kiram (estranged wife of Datu Fuad Kiram who happens to be a fake Sultanate of Sulu claimant) as posted in the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum on Facebook: 
"SALAM PO SA LAHAT... TOTOONG FAKE SULTAN SI FUAD AT FAKE PRINCE SI DUX PERO ANG NAKAKALUNGKOT DITO SA PAHAYAG SA BLOG NA ITO AY PATI ANG GENUINE SULTAN NG SULU NA KATULAD NI SULTAN MAHAKUTTAH KIRAM AY NAGIGING FAKE NARIN, ANG RESOURCE PERSON NA KINUHAAN NG IMPORMASYON AY ASAWA MISMO NI DATU JAMALUL KIRAM III NASI CELIA KIRAM, DAMAGING ANG STATEMENT TUNGKOL SA YUMAONG SULTAN MAHAKUTTAH KIRAM HALOS BUONG MUNDO ANG NAKAKABASA, SARI SARING TAWAG/ OPINYON ANG NAKUKUHA NAMIN MULA MISMO SA SULU AT ABROAD NASA DAHILAN SI FUAD ANG ANG OBJECTIBO NG PANUNULIGSA AY NADAMAY NARIN ANG LEHITIMONG SULTAN MAHAKUTTAH, SANA PO NAMAN BIGYAN KATARUNGAN ANG YUMAONG SULTAN MAHAKUTTAH KIRAM SA PAMOMOLITIKO NG KANYANG MANGA KAMAGANAK NA PINOPULITIKA ANG AWAYAN/ INGGITAN SA TRONO AT SANA NAMAN PO AY DI BASTA PAPANIG ANG FORUM SA MANGA WALANG BASEHAN NA KRITIKO NG MANGA PEKENG GRUPO, DI RIN NAMAN NAMIN MA-BLAME ANG FORUM SA DAHILAN KULANG SILA SA PAGUUNAWA SA SAGRADONG TRADISYON NG SULTANIYA SULU DAN SABAH.
"NABANGGIT DIN PO SA BLOG NA SA TAONG 1974 DAW NAMATAY SI SULTAN ESMAIL E. KIRAM DIPO ITO TOTOO DAHIL PO 1973 NAMATAY SI SULTAN ESMAIL E. KIRAM, AT DI RIN PO PINAHANAP SI DATU PUNJUNGAN SA SULU UPANG IPAPALIT SA NAMAYAPANG SULTAN ESMAIL AT DI RIN PO INOSENTE SI MARCOS SA PAGSUPORTA KAY MAHAKUTTAH DAHIL PO MULA CONGRESSMAN TO PRESIDENT NA SI MARCOS AY MATALIK DIN KAIBIGAN NI SULTAN ESMAIL AT ALAM PO NI MARCOS ANG PUNOT DULO NG LAW OF SUCCESSION, ANDYAN PO SI AMINA AT SANTANINA SA JP RIZAL AT PUWEDE RIN SIGURONG MAGIGING RESOURCE PERSON NG BLOG ALANG ALANG SA KATOTOHANAN.

"NAIS PONG IPARATING NG RAJAMUDA SA ADMIN NG BLOG NA SANA BIGYAN NG KONTENG KATARUNGAN ANG KANYANG NAMAYAPANG AMA NA SI SULTAN MAHAKUTTAH AT SANA RIN PO DAW NA SIYANG MATUTULUNGAN NA EFFORTS NIYANG UNITY SA KIRAM FAMILY KESA SA PAGBABANGAANNILANG LAHAT, NAGING TUPANG ITIM MAN SI FUAD PERO PILIT PARING ISINASALBA NG KANILANG KAMAGANAK SA DAHILAN BUKOD TANGI LAMANG SI DUX ANG DEMONYONG NAGIGING ANINO NI FUAD SA BUONG BUHAY NIYA PERO SANA TULUNGAN DIN KAMI SA PAGDADASAL NA SANA ISANG ARAW AY MATATAUHAN DIN SI FUAD." 
Finally, the fourth reason why, according to our researches, Fuad Kiram cannot be sultan of Sulu is based on a standing Sulu Sultanate tradition: the coronation of Mahakuttah was proclaimed not by the Ruma Bechara but by the government of Ferdinand Marcos. 
NB: We reserve the right to modify the entries in this blog on the basis of new evidence that may be presented to us. 

Sources:Sultan of Sulu This Sulu government website shows that Fuad is not listed as one of the Sultans. Provincial Government of Sulu

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