The report alleges that the meeting
took place in Manila at the end of July, just weeks after a July 7 hearing
in Europe regarding the case against
Malaysia brought in the names of eight private Filipino citizens who claim descent from the defunct Sultanate
of Sulu. The Manila meeting occurred between the Sulu claimants’
legal counsel, Paul Cohen and Elisabeth Mason, and a group of foreign private intelligence
consultants, whom sources identified as Charles George Webb, Matthew Ryan Williams, Marc Singer,
and Richard Jacobson.
This group has a documented
history in Southeast Asia. Webb has a London-based intelligence consultancy, Hanuman, that works in Southeast Asia; directs the PR agency, Sanzaru; and previously worked for Penumbra Partners on projects aimed at manipulating governments through public opinion. Williams, the head
of Chancery Advisors, was previously connected to U.S. intelligence projects
across Southeast Asia, and
worked with the two other attendees, Singer and Jacobson, at Pacific Strategies & Assessments, a Southeast Asia-focused intelligence consultancy. Notably, Jacobson is also a former CIA station chief
previously based in Indonesia.
The
Manila meeting between these individuals and
the Sulu claimants’ legal
counsel raises serious red flags. First,
a legal team meeting with intelligence operatives during an
ongoing case raises serious concerns about the
integrity of the legal process.
Second, while the claimants are private citizens, the meeting suggests they may be attempting to orchestrate
a covert operation designed to manipulate or draw in Filipino
society. This raises serious concerns about the exploitation of Filipino society for the personal financial gain of the claimants and their expanding team of shadowy foreign
consultants. Lastly, the claim has been denied in several courts across different
jurisdictions, with another decision, likely unfavorable to
the Sulu claimants, scheduled for December 2025. The meeting signals the claimants may be preparing to disregard legal rulings
in favor of more nefarious methods to advance
their claim.
The idea of external
actors leveraging a century-old dispute for profit at the expense
of Filipino society and international law should give Filipino policymakers and citizens reason
for concern.
Read the full article
for details of the alleged
meeting and what it could mean for the future of the Sulu case: https://knowsulu.ph/the-untold-sulu-story/sulu-lawyers-manila-gathering-reveals-foreign-intelligence-team-behind-sabah-dispute
