Secret Manila Conclave Unites Sulu Lawyers with Ex-CIA, MI6-Linked Operatives as $15B Sabah Showdown Looms

Manila, Philippine - August 07, 2025 - 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