In Philippine politics, as in other countries, a change of administration can result in various alterations of policy. Given the upcoming 2016 Philippine national elections, a change in the leadership has the potential to influence the way the Philippines pursues its Sabah claim. Candidates wishing to differentiate themselves from the administration have released statements that they deem to be contrary to the ruling coalition’s policies, which now define the official position of the country towards the Sabah claim. While systemic constraints such as allocation of resources, balance of power, geography, etc. all contribute to foreign policy decisions, the role of individuals, more specifically elected officials, should also be considered. This position is best supported by Daniel L. Byman and Kenneth M. Pollack in their work entitled, “Let Us Now Praise Great Men: Bringing the Statesmen Back In,” wherein they were able to describe Hitler’s influence in Germany’s conduct during the Second World War [1] as opposed to the perception that such could purely be understood by analyzing at the systemic level. 

One of the candidates running for the Senate this election is Jacel Kiram a daughter of the late Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III. During the 2013 Sabah Standoff, she publicly spoke out against the government’s lack of support, going as far as to accuse other officials of prioritizing Malaysian interests over Manila’s. Now that she is running for senator, she has repeatedly campaigned to revive the country’s claim over Sabah. Given her reservations over the present Aquino administration’s apparent lack of assertion of the claim, she allied herself with the senatorial slate of the opposition’s Vice President Jejomar Binay. Binay had been more vocal than the administration in the case of the Sabah claim, saying: “We will pursue our claim to Sabah. Why would we give up something that rightfully belongs to us? [2]” Binay’s statements on this issue led the Malaysian government to summon the Philippines Charge d’affaires. Binay’s camp was surprised by Kuala Lumpur’s action[3], as they believed that their statement was in accordance with existing Philippine foreign policy. Furthermore, he also stated that his administration would be willing to engage Malaysia in“serious back-chanelling[4]”, thereby contradicting the current administration’s stance. This is consistent with his role in the opposition, but at the same time, Binay is trying to avoid the appearance of an aggressive policy, evident by his camp’s interest in engaging Kuala Lumpur. An alliance between Kiram and Binay may enable the pursuit of the Philippines’ Sabah claim within the two branches of government, wherein the former would provide legislative support to the latter’s executive conduct......

Photo: Fishing Boats seen from the Kota kinabalu boardwalk in Sabah, Malaysia. By Dcubillas @ Wikimedia Commons. 

The UP Asian Center offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. Get an overview of these programs. The Asian Center also houses a peer-reviewed, open-access journal, Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia. It has published several books and monographs, and hosts or organizes various lectures and conferences.