Abdusakur “Sakur” Tan has led Sulu’s provincial government for many decades, playing a key role during the decades long effort against extremist and clan-based violence in Sulu. Image Source: Abdusakur Tan

The declaration is an important milestone for Sulu after decades of violence with extremist militants, including the Abu Sayyaf Group, and also “ridos,” or clan violence.

Much of this effort has been attributed to Abdusakur “Sakur” Tan, who has held power and influence in Sulu for decades. He served as Sulu’s governor at multiple intervals, including 1996-2001, 2007-2013, and 2019-2025. Today, he serves as the Vice Governor, with his son, Abdusakur Tan II, serving as the Governor.

In this respect, the Tans are the true dynastic power in Sulu with a distinct difference in focus from members of the Kiram family, whose ancestors ruled the region as Sulu Sultans. Where the Kirams have recently made headlines with statements on their rights to Sabah in Malaysia, the Tan family has been careful to focus on domestic bread-and-butter issues. Sulu remains the poorest of the Philippines’ eighty-two provinces.

“The Tan family has been careful to focus on domestic bread-and-butter issues. Sulu remains the poorest of the Philippines’ eighty-two provinces.”

Yet Abdusakur Tan’s relative silence on Sabah was recently broken with careful comments during an interview with Philip Golingai from The Star. The headline read: “Sabah and Sulu are brothers.”

Many readers might expect such comments on fraternity to prelude territorial claims in echo of the Kiram family and, increasingly, powerful members of the Philippines’ political playing field. However, Tan steered entirely clear of such claims, instead highlighting economic and social ties, as well as Sabah’s role in taking in many Sulu refugees during the decades long spate of violence.

Tan was directly asked what he thought of the Kirams, to which Tan reportedly responded bluntly by highlighting the sheer number of rival claimants to the Sulu royal title and how it was impossible to identify any legitimacy.

Today, Muedzul Tan Lail Kiram is generally recognized as the more legitimate successor to the Sulu Sultans, which lost the last of their governing powers following the 1915 Carpenter Agreement with the United States’ colonial administration. The Philippine Republic that came after did not see fit to restore the sultanate in any formal capacity. As such, title of “Sulu Sultanate,” however defunct of power when placed next to Sulu’s elected representatives, remains hotly contested by other claimants such as Fuad Kiram and the deceased Jamalul III.

“Tan reportedly responded bluntly by highlighting the sheer number of rival claimants to the Sulu royal title and how it was impossible to identify any legitimacy.”

One thing that all claimants seem to agree on is that Sabah is their private royal property. Tan was careful not to directly refute the Kirams’ or the Philippines’ claims to Sabah, but implied that it was a futile effort that the Kirams should not “wait forever” for.

Instead, the Tan governorship sees the development of Sulu’s domestic economy, economic relationship with Sabah, and infrastructure as far greater priorities. The Sulu government has also recently been deliberately pushing for the restoration and expansion of tourism to Sulu province’s many natural wonders now that peace and stability is declared.

REFERENCES

Cayabyab, M. J. (2013, March 7). Jamalul Kiram III and the 'sultans' of Sulu. GMA News Online. https://www.gmanetwork.com

Delizo, M. (2026, September 24). Sulu declares province-wide state of stable internal peace and security. ABS-CBN News. https://www.abs-cbn.com

Golingai, P. (2026, September 27). Sabah and Sulu are brothers. The Star. https://www.thestar.com.my

Know Sulu. (2026, September 22). The Kiram question: Can private citizens own and transfer people and states? https://know-sulu.ph

Majangkim, R. (2026, February 28). Sabah: A sovereign choice the world witnessed. Jesselton Times. https://jesseltontimes.com

Majul, C. A. (1979). An analysis of the "Genealogy of Sulu." Asian Studies, 17, 1–17. https://asj.upd.edu.ph

Panganiban, A. V. (2013, March 2). Understanding the Sabah dispute. Philippine Daily Inquirer. https://opinion.inquirer.net

United Nations. (1963, September 1). United Nations Malaysia Mission [Photograph]. UN Photo. https://media.un.org