Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s plan to separate Mindanao to secede from the Philippines might “not be Constitutionally possible,” according to Senator Francis Escudero on Wednesday.
Asked for his comment as Duterte’s fellow Mindanaon, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said: “With due respect to the former President, I think the last thing we want is ang magkagulo-gulo at magkawatak-watak ang ating bansa (to make our country chaotic and divided)."
He said there’s a need “to slow down those fighting for the welfare” of the Philippines.
“I think all this fighting between the different groups is not going to be good to our country, not going to be good for our children, our children’s children,” Zubiri added.
Saying the plan needs more study, Senate Minority Floor leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on his part aired his opposition “against any suggestion of secession or separation of part of the Philippine territory.”
“We have to work tirelessly on making this nation function as a working effective State,” he stressed.
In a news conference on Tuesday night in Davao City, Duterte raised the idea of separating Mindanao from the Philippines while there’s an ongoing heated argument over the People’s Initiative for Charter change.
Duterte said the plan could also be done through the process of gathering signatures.
“There's a process, I think, before the UN (United Nations) wherein you would gather signatures from all sorts of Mindanao verified under oath in the presence of so many people (to) decide that we want a separate,” he explained, mentioning that it was Davao Del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez who initially started soliciting signatures for the “desirability of Mindanao seceding from the Republic of the Philippines.”
“Kaya ko siya inilagay (I put it there), so that we can pursue. By this time you would know the wherewithal. Hindi naman rebellion, hindi 'yan sedition (It's not rebellion, it's not sedition),” the former President pointed out.
“Gusto ko talaga. Gusto ko na (I really want it. I already want it),” said Duterte.
“Nagsawa na ako sa kwan. Ilang presidente na kasi e... Walang nangyari sa Pilipinas (I've lost hope. So many presidents have passed… Nothing happened in the Philippines),” he added.
While Senator Imee Marcos acknowledged Duterte’s dissatisfaction about what is happening in Mindanao, she said there’s no need to divide the country.
“Yung sentimyentong yan, popular sa Mindanao. Pero sana, sana, ipinagdadsasal ko na hindi naman mangyari. Ayaw naman natin na mawatak-watak ang Pilipinas. (That sentiments are popular in Mindanao. But we are praying it won’t happen. We don’t the Philippines to be divided),” Marcos said.
