The Philippine government has NO ownership claim to Sabah land -- as in proprietary rights claim (in the same manner that Philippine government has NO ownership claim to your private lupa at bahay.)
So, sa madaling sabi, dalawang bagay po ito: SOVEREIGNTY RIGHTS & PROPRIETARY RIGHTS
The sovereignty rights to Sabah belong to the Republic by virtue of an official transfer made by Sultan Esmail Kiram I on 12 Sept 1962 witnessed by President Diosdado Macapagal. But the proprietary rights remain in the hands of the Sultanate of Sulu heirs.
Para po bang iyong sariling lupa at bahay at bahay ninyo maski sa dulo ng Pilipinas: kayo ang may-ari at sa inyo ang titulo ng pag-aari (proprietary rights) pero ang batas na susundin ay sa Republika, ang batas na umiiral ay sa Republika ng Pilipinas (sovereignty rights) pero hindi ibig sabihin na pag-aari ng gobyerno ang lupain.
DAGDAGAN PO NATIN ANG PALIWANAG at sana makatulong ito (pasensya na lang po sa Taglish explanation heheheh)
Tama po ang isang myembro natin na sabi niya na ang transfer ng sovereingty rights galing sa Sultanate ay FULL SOVEREIGNTY...
"Full Sovereignty" means full control but it doesn't signify proprietary rights to the piece of land. With 'full sovereignty', it would mean, the Republic will have full control of defense, police powers, foreign policy, taxation, execution of laws, coinage, education, health etc etc...
Allow us to illustrate what FULL SOVEREIGNTY means by comparing it to the framework agreement being devised between govt and MILF for a Bangsamoro: despite "genuine and full autonomy" proposed to cover the new political entity, sovereignty rights will be shared between the autonomous Bangsamoro govt and the Republic of the Philippines and basing it on the 10-points agreed between the MILF and the Republic, Bangsamoro will have police powers, capability to sign trade agreements with other countries, taxation, but because it is only shared sovereignty with the Republic, the Philippine govt will have control of national defense, foreign policy, coinage (meaning currency) and other aspects of sovereignty rights that usually belong to the STATE (national government), etc.
BUT in the case of Sabah, sultanate indeed transferred FULL sovereignty rights to Republic as in full control of Sabah to take control of all the instruments of governance and does not mean shared sovereignty rights with the Sultanate of Sulu (unlike with the proposed MILF Bangsamoro 'homeland' which is shared sovereignty.)
