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“They thought if you want to secede, it’s going to be a war. No. We are going to do it the legal way,” the former Chief Executive added.
Former House speaker Pantaleon Alvarez also said the Mindanao independence campaign advocacy will be pursued in a “peaceful and orderly” manner.
Alvarez, who represents Davao del Norte’s first district in the House of Representatives, made the statement to debunk allegations that the movement is seditious and contrary to law.
Told that secession was against the 1987 Constitution, Duterte said:
“It is not against the Constitution. It is outside the Constitution.
Mag-secede ka nga e. It is based on the right of a free will of determination of the people.”
He also said he was not calling for the ouster of Mr. Marcos, indicating that his only issue with the President was his moves towards Charter change.
On Thursday, Mr. Marcos said the call to separate Mindanao was “doomedto fail, for it is anchored on false premise not to mention a sheer constitutional travesty.”
“I strongly appeal to all concerned to stop this call for a separate Mindanao. This is a grave violation of the constitution,” the President said at the observation of Constitution Day 2024 in Makati City.
Meanwhile, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri opposed the plan of the former President and Alvarez.
“With due respect to the former President, the last thing that we want is for the country to be divided,” said Zubiri, a native of Mindanao himself.
Another Mindanaoan, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said the insistence of Duterte and Alvarez to push for the separation of the island region from the Philippines “needs more study.”
Pimentel admitted that he is 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 added, while acknowledging that Mindanao has been suffering from “historical injustice.”
Senator Imee Marcos, the President’s older sister, categorically stated she will not support Mindanao’s secession.
Senator Francis Escudero pointed out this is not constitutionally possible.
Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, a close ally of the former president, also opposed the separation of Mindanao.
“On my part, personally, right now I don’t want to because I don’t want to get a visa if I go visit my grandchildren here in Batangas,” Dela Rosa said.
In a statement sent to the media, Alvarez reasserted the movement’s commitment to “peaceful, democratic, and lawful” means to advocate for the welfare and rights of the people of Mindanao, particularly the right to self-determination.
“I salute the soldiers and policemen. During the time of former president Duterte, they were given a pay increase as an expression of gratitude for their services. But the statement of their leaders is wrong. They can use force if what we are doing is a crime. But it is not so, no weapons are involved here. I hope they will not scare the people,” Alvarez said.
“What we intend to do is resort to reason and tap the peaceful and common aspirations of the Mindanaoan people,” he stressed.
Under the Revised Penal Code, rebellion requires taking up arms while sedition is committed by those rising “publicly and tumultuously” to prevent, in a forceful, intimidating or illegal way, the execution of a law, administrative order, or a popular election; to obstruct the government or any public officer from freely performing his functions; or to inflict act of hate or revenge against a public officer or employee or their property.
He added: “Our aim is for Mindanao to finally be allowed to prioritize itself.”
— Maricel Cruz & Macon Ramos-Araneta
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