President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s meeting with Cabinet officials on Tuesday excluded discussions on his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte’s call for a separate Mindanao Republic, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said.
“Hindi na lang pinatulan (The President did not bother with it). Let us put it that way,” Abalos said in a chance interview with Palace reporters.
Duterte last week floated the idea of having Mindanao secede and said he had tasked Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez to gather signatures for their advocacy, citing a supposed “UN (United Nations) process” for it.
The former President said the lack of development in the island prompted him to revive the movement.
Abalos said last week that the Philippines should “remain united and undivided” and that “secession is not the answer to Mindanao’s concerns.” He was among several Cabinet men to speak out against Duterte’s call for the southern island region to separate from the republic.
However, Alvarez, the former Speaker, on Tuesday clarified that their call for Mindanao’s separation would be done “peacefully” to enable development in the region, and that it will not cause chaos.
Meanwhile, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said his men were keeping close watch on groups pushing for the secession of Mindanao.
In a related development, the Armed Forces of the Philippines denied that there were plans to disband the Task Force Davao, which serves as the main unit of Joint Task Force Haribon in counter-terrorism operations and has been instrumental in maintaining peace, security and development in Davao City – Duterte’s hometown.
Alvarez made the statement in response to Acorda’s warning that the proposed secession is something to watch out by authorities.
“Naiintindihan ko ‘yan (I understand that). On my part, I assume full responsibility on my actions. We don’t want it to result in chaos.
That is why I’m saying we are not out to sow confusion,” Alvarez was quoted as saying in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.
Alvarez also denied the proposed independent Mindanao as advocated by him and Duterte is an act inciting to sedition, as suggested by Camiguin Gov. Xavier Jesus Romualdo and his father, Rep. Jurdin Jesus Romualdo.
“I studied it, and it appears that it does not fall under the elements of such crime. In sedition, you need a tumultuous affair,” Alvarez explained.
“Hindi naman kami nanggugulo (We are not engaged in spreading turmoil),” he added.
Acorda, along with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., on Monday strongly expressed opposition to the call for separation of Mindanao from the Philippines.
“These are all defined through our Constitution; it (Mindanao) is a sovereign territory. it’s not good that after all, the sacrifices of our heroes and other countrymen and now that we are enjoying peace,” Acorda said.
“It does not look good if there are any efforts of secession, or to secede a portion of our country. It will only entail disorder. Let us be united and let us not entertain these ideas. After all, we are in peace,” Teodoro added.
Acorda said that he does not believe the secessionist movement will cause any trouble because no big group is supporting it.
The PNP chief said the police were monitoring if laws were violated by those calling for secession.
“’That’s what we are looking at. We are monitoring those who are talking about such interest of seceding,” Acorda said.
“There are some provisions on the law that define the criminal act relative to this. We will uphold the law,” he stressed.
The PNP chief pointed out that lives have been sacrificed to establish the Philippines as a sovereign country. Teodoro said the Department of National Defense will keep its mandate to securing the country and the integrity of the national territory.
“The mandate of the DND is to secure the sovereignty of the State and integrity of the national territory as enshrined in the Constitution. We will strictly enforce this mandate whether externally or internally,” Teodoro said in a statement.
In a press briefing, AFP public affairs chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said they were clueless on the source of the information about Task Force Davao In a separate statement, the AFP’s Eastern Mindanao Command also denied the rumor.
“There are no instructions whatsoever coming from higher headquarters to remove Task Force Davao from its present mandate,” EastMinCom spokesperson Col. Rosa Ma. Cristian Rosete-Manuel said.
AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla also said Armed Forces Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. visited Davao over the weekend to assess military operations and the welfare of troops.