The Sultanate of Sulu is appealing to President Rodrigo Duterte to endorse their petition claiming ownership of the disputed territory of Sabah. The petition was filed before the United Nations (UN) in 2004.

Abraham Idjirani, secretary general and spokesman of the heirs to the defunct sultanate, said the UN responded two weeks after the petition was filed and told them to get an endorsement from the Philippine government.

“We are appealing to President Duterte to endorse our petition, which is pending before the UN,” Idjirani said.

Duterte had said he will “stick to our claim” of the Sultanate of Sulu, a group of islands south of the Philippines.

Idjirani said the claim may be elevated by the government to the international tribunal on the arbitration of disputed territories.

He said it is better with the Philippines as main claimant, as there are UN tribunals duly authorized by the UN Convention on the Law of Sea by which the claim may be settled.

He said the former President Diosdado Macapagal during his term asserted our rights over Sabah and negotiated with Great Britain.

Later, the British formed the Federation of Malaysia composed of their territories of Malaya, Singapore, Brunei, Sarawak and Sabah.

Idjirani said before the creation of Malaysia, the US government recognized Sabah as a territory under the Sultan of Sulu.

It was during the term of former President Ferdinand Marcos that the Sultan of Sulu transferred all his rights, sovereignty and territory over Sabah to the government.