Mindanao separation ‘not constitutionally possible’

Senators on Wednesday expressed their views on the recent reports that former President Rodrigo Duterte is pushing to separate Mindanao and secede from the Philippines.

Senator Francis Escudero said that the proposal might “not be Constitutionally possible,” while Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri stressed that the last thing they want is to make the country chaotic and divided.

Zubiri said that there is a need “to slow down these 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,” said the Senate President.

Meantime, Senate Minority Floor leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III for 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.

To recall, 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, adding that 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,” Duterte said.

He added that it was Davao del Norte Representative Pantaleon Alvarez who initially started soliciting signatures for the “desirability of Mindanao seceding from the Republic of the Philippines.”

“I put it there so that we can pursue. By this time, you would know the wherewithal. It’s not rebellion, it’s not sedition,” the former President pointed out. “I really want it. I already want it.”

“I’ve lost hope. So many presidents have passed… nothing happened in the Philippines,” said the former President.

Meantime, Senator Imee Marcos — while acknowledging Duterte’s dissatisfaction about what is happening in Mindanao — stressed that there’s no need to divide the country.