Martial Law Stories: Escape to Sabah
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Map of the Philippines and Sabah in Malaysia (Source: Google Maps)
(Excerpted from the late author’s blog, “Take It From My Barber.” https://benmaynigo.blogspot.com/2013/03/sabah-sulu-sultan-salonga-sumulong-part_8950.html)
We had just escaped from the Marcos dictatorship via kumpit (pump boat), departing from Gerry Jumat’s birthplace, the small island of Sitangkai. I was disguised as a Muslim barter trader named Abdul Julkanain, a supposed descendant of Alexander the Great.
After traveling for several days from Makati through Zamboanga, Jolo (Sulu) and Tawi-tawi, the trip from Sitangkai to Tawau was literally a breath of fresh air. Upon reaching the high seas we could not help feeling the excitement of being freed from the clutches of martial law and the Marcos dictatorship.
Then, a boat of pirates started chasing us. Luckily, we were escorted by a group of Muslim soldiers with submachine guns who chased them back, exchanging gunfire that innocently brought excitement to my two-year- old daughter. The pirates went away.
A few hours later, a Malaysian Navy ship stopped us for inspection. They checked our cases of Coke and several cans of Baguio Oil that we brought to barter. Abdul Julkanain must have looked quite a credible trader. So, we were let go, and we proceeded to Sabah. Which direction? With no GPS and no compass, we relied on a Badjao, a Filipino native seaman to navigate us, using the sun and the moon. We arrived in Tawau, Sabah safely though much delayed amidst rain and thunder.
We could not get clearance to enter until the immigration officials went around the small port premises, shouting my real name – Benjamin Maynigo. It took a while because I originally came in as the barter trader Abdul Julkanain.
We stayed in Sabah for more than four months initially under the care of the local Catholic church whose parish priest was Fr. John Lee. Later, we moved to a small inn called Hotel Soon Yee, this time under the care of the Malaysian authorities and the Red Crescent (Red Cross).
Earlier, when we first arrived, a debriefing was arranged by the Malaysian Home Affairs Ministry; first, to determine my personal identity – meaning, if I was really Benjamin Maynigo; and second, to determine if I was not a Marcos agent infiltrating Sabah. This was followed up later on with a telephone conversation with then-Home Affairs Minister Ghazali Shafie, who later became Foreign Minister.
At the debriefing, I was shown some newspaper and magazine clippings that had pictures of me and articles about me by the Scotland Yard-trained investigators. This was because of my involvement in the Student Revolution and in anti-Marcos rallies in the Philippines.
Then, we covered the Sabah Claim. I told them about my limited knowledge of the issue at the time. As a student, I opposed the exposed plan of Marcos to invade Sabah and the resulting Jabidah Massacre. I mentioned to the investigators the role of retired Colonel Bonifacio Gillego in providing intelligence and research data on the Jabidah Massacre to then-Senators Gene Magsaysay and Benigno Aquino, Jr. They knew that Senator Aquino exposed Marcos’ plan to invade Sabah and the corresponding massacre of the Muslim trainees.
“Upon reaching the high seas we could not help feeling the excitement of being freed from the clutches of martial law and the Marcos dictatorship.”
Bonifacio Gillego was the Deputy Secretary General of the Christian Social Movement (CSM), while its Founding President was former Senator and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Raul Manglapus. I was the former head of the CSM youth arm. Heading a group of rebels in the mountains of Bicol, Boni had written to Manglapus earlier about wanting to escape to join him in Washington, D.C. So, I knew that he would eventually pass by Tawau, Sabah, using the same route.
Boni subsequently escaped and joined us in Washington, D.C. In one of his memoirs, he recognized that my stories about him regarding the Jabidah Massacre saved him from strong suspicions by the Home Affairs investigators because of his being a former military intelligence officer.
By the way, Boni also provided the research work and data on the Marcos Fake Medals under the auspices of Raul Manglapus’ Movement for a Free Philippines.
Subplots
There are some subplots to our Sabah Saga. One is the role of the Jumat family and their own story. Two are the stories of the other famous escapees who used the same route. Three is the significant participation of famous U.S., Malaysian, and International personalities and institutions. Fourth is the Jabidah Massacre itself. Each one could be subject to separate and longer articles or even books.
Plugging Some Holes
Gerry Jumat was the head of the Muslim family who escaped with us. Gerry baptized our first child, Tanya as a Catholic. How did that happen? Fr. Gerry was one of the only two known Muslims who became Catholic priests at the time. He was raised and educated by the Oblates in Cotabato who ran the Notre Dame University. He became a very close assistant to Bishop Nepomuceno of the Cotabato Diocese. Boots Ayson of Pampanga is a niece of the Bishop. She became famous for working with Manglapus in the Ora Bantay case that toppled the Crisologo dynasty.
The Bishop was a close friend of Tita Maring Feria who was the central figure in the planning, communications, and financing of all the escapes that started with my Mother-in-law Pacita Manglapus and brothers-in-law, Raulito, Bobby, and Francis. Tita Maring, the Bishop, Fr. Gerry, and Boots worked together in the execution of the first escape. Fr. Gerry and Boots, who was disguised as a nun, became very close and fell in love. Gerry left the priesthood and married Boots. Their children, Lara and Wally, were born before our own escape.
Why were the Malaysian authorities looking for Benjamin Maynigo at the Tawau, Sabah port? This is because Home Affairs Minister Ghazali Shafie had instructed them to look for me. He was earlier instructed by Senate President Ong Yok Lin to help us, upon the request of some important people in Washington, D.C. The former was the Malaysian Ambassador to the United States during the Kennedy Administration.
Why did we have to stay in Sabah for more than four months? Tina was no longer a dependent of her father, Raul Manglapus, who had been granted political asylum in the US. We had to apply for our own political asylum. However, the Ford-Kissinger Administration, which was sympathetic to the Marcos regime, rejected our application for political asylum. We had to wait for peanut farmer Jimmy Carter to become President and be a beneficiary of his Human Rights policy.
The author’s family in the U.S. (1987) Standing (L-R): Raul S. Manglapus, Benjamin Maynigo, Tina Maynigo, Traci Maynigo. Seated: Raul Maynigo, Pacita Manglapus, and Tanya Maynigo. Daughter Tanya was a young child during the escape. Traci and Raul were born later in the U.S.
Why were we under the care of the Red Crescent? Our Christian Democratic friends in Europe got us certified as political refugees under the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR). We were not unlike the Vietnamese “boat people.” We were paroled into the United States under UNHCR auspices.
Another interesting note – I was not only disguised as a barter trader, I was also disguised as a Special Assistant to the Malaysian Prime Minister. To apply for political asylum, we had to do it at the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. At the time, to travel to K.L. from Sabah, you needed some papers and a visa. I had none, so the Home Affairs agents arranged my disguise.
Benjamin G. Maynigo
Benjamin G. Maynigo is an international and cyber lawyer with an LL.B and LL.M; an educator with an M.A. in Human Resource Development; an IT CEO with M.B.A. background; community and trade association leader; lecturer/speaker/writer; political strategist; technology pioneer.
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