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| Jamalul Kiram III جَمَلُلْ كِرَمْ ٣ | |
|---|---|
| Pretender to theSultanate of Sulu | |
| Pretence | June 15, 1986 – October 20, 2013 |
| Predecessor | Aguimuddin Abirin and Mohammad Akijal Atti |
| Successor | Ismael Kiram II |
| Born | (1938-07-16)July 16, 1938 Maimbung,Sulu,Commonwealth of the Philippines |
| Died | October 20, 2013(2013-10-20) (aged 75) Quezon City, Philippines |
| Issue | Jacel Kiram |
| House | Royal House of Kiram |
| Father | Datu Punjungan Kiram |
| Mother | Sharifa Usna Dalus Strattan |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Jamalul ibni Punjungan Kiram III (July 16, 1938 – October 20, 2013)[1][2] was a former self-proclaimedSultan of theSulu Sultanate[3] who claimed to be "the poorestsultan in the world".[4] He was known as an unsuccessful candidate for senator in thePhilippine general elections in 2007. In 2013, Kiram III sparked a controversy when he reviveda dispute between the Philippines and Malaysia byleading an intrusion into the eastern part ofSabah. His daughter is Princess Jacel Kiram, a proponent of the Sabah claim of the Philippines in 2016.[5][6][7][8]
Jamalul was born inMainbung,Sulu. He was the eldest son ofDatu Punjungan Kiram andSharifa Usna Dalus Strattan. He is descended from the firstSultan of Sulu,Sharif ul-Hāshim of Sulu from theBanu Hashem tribe, the direct descendants ofMuhammad.[1] Kiram III also claimed to have a common ancestor with Brunei's current sultanHassanal Bolkiah, although this was denied by Brunei.[9][failed verification]
Jamalul Kiram III | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas |
| Alma mater | Notre Dame of Jolo College Manuel L. Quezon University |
Kiram III studied in Jolo Central Elementary School from 1946 to 1951. He finished high school at the Sulu High School in 1955 and took up pre-law from 1956 to 1958 at Notre Dame of Jolo. He studied for aBachelor of Law degree fromManuel L. Quezon University (MLQU) in 1964 but was unable to finish it and pursued a career in dance instead.[2] He was married to Dayang Hadja Fatima Celia H. Kiram, and resided inTaguig,Metro Manila.
In the2007 elections, Jamalul Kiram III unsuccessfully ran as Senator under the banner ofTEAM Unity.[10] After the family meeting, Kiram III once again became the self-proclaimed Sultan alongsideIsmael Kiram II. He also declared Rajah Mudah Agbimuddin Kiram as "crown prince".[5]
Beginning on February 9, 2013, approximately 200 men led by his brother, Agbimuddin Kiram, intruded into neighbouringSabah in Malaysia by entering illegally intoLahad Datu, in an effort to assert the former Sulu Sultanate's claim to the state. Kiram was reported to have directed them to intrude and not leave, claiming that "Malaysia is only renting Sabah" from the heirs of the Sultanate. The men, many of whom were heavily armed, engaged in a standoff with Malaysian police and armed forces which saw the death of 56 of his followers while the rest were either captured or escaped.[2][11][12] The intrusion was believed to have been caused when thePhilippine government treated him and his wife only as "decorations" during the signing of aframework agreement with theMoro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).[2] PresidentBenigno Aquino III blamed Kiram and his followers for dragging thePhilippines into the dispute, damaging relations between Malaysia and the Philippines, with a bad impact on overseas Filipinos in Malaysia.[2][13][14] His actions drew criticism from many Filipinos in Sabah, who feared retaliation and discrimination from the local Borneo tribes, especially after the killing of Malaysian police officers from theindigenous Borneo races.[15] Furthermore, other claimants to the Sultanate's authority decried his approach, preferring to pursue peaceful means to resolve the Sabah dispute without resorting to violence.[16][17][18][19]
On October 3, 2024, Malaysia's Federal Court upheld the death sentences of seven Filipino men involved in the 2013 Lahad Datu invasion, which had resulted in the deaths of nine Malaysian security personnel.[20] The ruling was seen as a step toward ensuring justice and strengthening national security in Malaysia.[21]
On October 20, 2013, Kiram III died at the age of 75 due tomultiple organ failure.[2] He made a dying request to be buried at the capital of the Sultanate inMaimbung,Sulu. He left eight children by two wives.[22] Numerous political personalities paid their respects to the late Sultan includingAutonomous Region in Muslim MindanaoGovernorMujiv Hataman andSulu Vice-governorAbdusakur Mahail Tan,[23] and formerFirst Lady of the PhilippinesImelda Marcos.[24][25]
His spokesman said that their "royal family" would continue to pursue their main intention overthe former dispute between Philippines and Malaysia.[26] TheMalaysian branch of police in Sabah has stated that they "would continue to be alert for any intrusion".[27]
Kiram III's daughter, Princess Jacel Kiram, is the designated spokeswoman of the late sultan and the most known of all the members of the Sulu royal family. The princess is currently living in a subdivision established by the Philippine government in Taguig in 1974, along with other members of Kiram III's family. Her father's royal bloodline established her royal ties with the Muslim royals ofSulu,Basilan,Tawi-tawi,Maguindanao, andLanao del Sur. Her grandmother from the maternal side came fromPangasinan in theIlocos Region, while her grandfather came fromSorsogon in theBicol Region. Her name is literally an amalgamation of the Muslim name, Jamulul (from her father), and the Christian name, Celia (from her mother). In 2002, she finished her bachelor of arts with a degree in Inter-Disciplinary Studies atDe La Salle–College of Saint Benilde. During that time, her thesis,“The Sulu Sultanate’s Genealogy and its Relation to the Philippines’ Claim to Sabah” was declared as Best Thesis. In 2013, she married Moh Yusop Hasan, a Filipino army major. In 2017, she headed the Philippine delegation on the19th World Festival of Youth and Students in the World Federation of Democratic Youth held inSochi,Russia. She was also a delegate of the Philippines to China in celebration of the 600th Year of Sulu-China Friendship, coinciding with the book launching of Friendship Without Borders, in Guangxi. Jacel also participated in a United Nations-sponsored conference on Drug Control Program held at the United Nations Office in Vienna,Austria. She was also the chairman of People's Coalition for Peace.[28]
President Aquino said in a statement, 'I appeal to you (Jamalul Kiram III) — we should be really clear on this — this incident is wrong. If this is wrong, why should we (the government) lend support to this? We should support what is right… which will lead us to brighter prospects; the wrong option will only bring us ruin. That's it, that's my simple message.' He also added 'Let's not forget: What they (the Jamalul Kiram III faction) are pushing for is their right as so-called heirs of the sultan of Sulu. It's not yet clear if their rights have been transferred to the Philippines. But we (the Philippines citizens and our nation) will all be affected by their conflict (with Malaysia).'
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Titles in pretence | ||
| Preceded by Aguimuddin Abirin | — TITULAR — Sultan of Sulu 1983–1990 Reason for succession failure: Sultanate powers ceded to the Philippines | Succeeded by Mohammad Akijal Atti |
| Preceded by Mohammad Akijal Atti | — TITULAR — Sultan of Sulu 2012–2013 withIsmael Kiram II Reason for succession failure: Sultanate powers ceded to the Philippines | Succeeded by |
 |  | ||
Cerimonial government recognition (1962–1986) | |||
Disputed claimants after 1936 | |||