Lawyer Jimmy Bondoc on Monday denied allegations that he incited sedition, rebellion, or insurrection through a Facebook post that read “Republic of Mindanao, coming soon,” saying the remark merely reflected public sentiment at the time and did not call for secession.

In a counter-affidavit submitted to the Department of Justice (DOJ, Bondoc rejected the charges filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), which stemmed from the post he made on 28 November 2025. 

“Mali po sila (They’re wrong). Because we know that freedom of speech is very viable and that cases like this,” Bondoc told reporters, in response to the filed raps. 

Bondoc said the post was an observation, not a call to action.

“Kawawa po yung bang na naglalabas lang ng saloobin ,and if you can see that—‘Republic of Mindanao coming soon’ is not inciting,” he stressed.

Bondoc said his post is “more of an acknowledgment” that there were growing discussions and rumblings about secession.

“Hindi po ako yung nanawagan nito (I was not the one calling for it),” he said, noting that his post “was only twisted into sedition.”

He added that the post should be viewed in the context of online discourse at the time, stressing that he did not organize, encourage, or participate in any movement seeking to separate Mindanao from the Philippines.

While expressing respect for the authorities who filed the case, Bondoc raised concerns about the potential chilling effect on free expression.

“I respect all the parties involved. This is part of their job. But not every expression of public sentiment on Facebook should result in criminal charges,” he said. 

“I am a lawyer, so I can respond to this, even if it causes delay and inconvenience. But I worry about ordinary citizens who simply share their views,” he added.

Bondoc also argued that discussions about secession are not, by themselves, illegal, noting that the Constitution provides lawful mechanisms for political change.

“Assuming, without conceding, that someone is calling for separation, the division of a territory is not automatically illegal,” he said.  “There are constitutional ways of doing that, such as revising the Constitution.”

The DOJ is expected to determine whether the complaints filed against Bondoc have sufficient basis to proceed.

Bondoc previously ran under the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino and was endorsed by former President Rodrigo Duterte in the last elections.