Media personality and political analyst Richard Heydarian was declared persona non grata by the Panabo City Council in Davao Del Norte.
Through Resolution No. 155, Series of 2025, the Panabo City Council declared him persona non grata on March 25, 2025.
The resolution stemmed from a privilege speech by Indigenous People’s Mandatory Representative Bae Merlinda B. Aranar.
Aranar said Heydarian’s comment, comparing the Human Development Index of Mindanao to the level of Sub-Saharan Africa, had not only insulted Mindanao but also tarnished its reputation. Cherrie Anne E. Villahermosa
Heydarian gained the ire of residents of Mindanao when his interview with CNN’s Cable Network circulated widely on social media last week. Heydarian was answering a question about his thoughts on Mindanao, and he said the development in Mindanao was at the level of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Many netizens, particularly from Mindanao, reacted and began posting photos showing a better life in Mindanao.
