It’s been a week now since former President Rodrigo Duterte put forward the idea of a Mindanao secession from the Philippines through a People’s Initiative signature campaign.

He attributed the lack of development in Mindanao to the neglect of past administrations to properly use the vast powers of government to develop the resource-rich island. Duterte, however, said that his advocating for such a movement should not induce rebellion or sedition against the government.

No matter the legal implication of such a call, or its justification, most of our leaders in government rejected it.

Carlito Galvez Jr., the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, told Filipinos on Friday not to support any movement calling for an independent Mindanao separating from the Philippines.

It is worth noting that Galvez was appointed chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in 2018 during Duterte’s presidency. He was also first appointed to his current post as presidential adviser on peace, reconciliation and unity in the same year and was reappointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in 2023.

Members of the House of Representatives also did not agree with Duterte’s call for Mindanao to secede from the Philippines, saying that the separation would not create any benefit for the country.

Majority Leader Jose Manuel Dalipe, a Mindanaon himself, said he does not share the idea of the former president as it would be potentially detrimental to the island’s interests.

“Right now, we’re good and I don’t see any benefit to our country for Mindanao to separate. I believe that Mindanao should remain a part of this republic. If it separates, it will be more difficult,” Dalipe said during a press conference.

Even the Senate is not aligned behind Duterte’s idea. His proposal to separate Mindanao from the rest of the Philippines would bring nothing good for the country, the senators said.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, who also hails from Mindanao, thumbed down the idea as it would prejudicially affect the country’s economy.

“With due respect to the former president, I think right now the last thing that we want is to have the country divided,” Zubiri told reporters in a chance interview. “I believe that regardless of where our leaders stand on this matter, most of us Filipinos would be against it.”

Personally, I think the matter of Mindanao seceding from our country is the last thing we need right now.

The country has become extremely divided and everything has been politicized that it has become very difficult to be on the same page with many people, including those who genuinely care about our progress as a nation.

The truth is government is effectively addressing relevant issues and is steadily improving the status of the Philippines. However, this is still a work in progress. There are still areas that need attention and will take time to resolve. More unity and less division is what are necessary right now.

Over the years, there have been great strides accomplished towards progress and peace between the national government and Mindanao. To separate the two now will throw away the years of promising negotiation, good relations and mutual goodwill developed between them.

I can accurately describe Mindanao as a reflection of diversity in many forms, the epitome of the search for progress, and the symbol of the long drawn-out struggle for lasting peace in the country as a whole.

A country that is united will lead to peace and order which will contribute to more growth, a stable economy, prosperity and continued development. Contrarily, a divided country will lead to poverty, instability, and underdevelopment.