DAVAO CITY, Philippines – While opposing the people’s initiative for charter change which he believes is orchestrated by the Marcos administration, former President Rodrigo Duterte says he is pushing the idea to secede Mindanao.
He bared this at a press conference Tuesday night at Gand Men Seng Hotel, where his supporters held a Hakbang ng Maisug Leaders Forum last Sunday.
He said he would push his own signature campaign all over Mindanao that would support secession.
Duterte explained his move saying he is frustrated as the government’s budget is being used in ways that do not benefit the public, especially in Mindanao.
He criticized President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and House Speaker Martin Romualdez for self-interest behind their push for charter change aside from tinkering with economic provisions in the Constitution.
“Kaya mag-usap na lang tayo. Sabi ko nga gusto ninyo One Mindanao tayo, iparaan natin sa proseso na legal. (So, let’s talk. I say if you want, let’s have ‘One Mindanao’, let’s do this through the legal process.) There is such a thing as a parliament body that could hear your petition to secede,” he explained.
Joining Duterte in the press conference was his former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, representative of Davao del Norte’s first district, who broke ties with him after being ousted as Speaker in 2018 in a move co-orchestrated by Duterte’s daughter Vice President Sara Duterte.
Duterte said he would let Alvarez do the work to conduct consultations with leaders in Mindanao, as he said it was Alvarez who first pushed for the “desirability of Mindanao seceding from the Republic of the Philippines.”
The former speaker said the secession would be similar to what happened in Singapore and would reap benefits for Mindanaoans as they would control resources and governance.
“We have lots of good leaders in Mindanao who know how to run a government,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez was one of the Mindanao politicians who met Duterte in 2014 as they laid the groundwork for a consultation on federalism that later endorsed Duterte’s presidency.
READ: Duterte, Mindanao leaders bat for federalism
During his term as House Speaker, he endorsed charter change in a bid to fulfill this plan but was not supported by the Senate.
The former Speaker was among those who attended the Hakbang ng Maisug forum, joined by former officials from Duterte’s administration including former Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco, Jr and former spokesperson lawyer Harry Roque.
The forum was notably absent of elected officials from Mindanao, unlike the 2014 forum for federalism.
READ: “Time is now for federalism”, Mindanao leaders say
Alvarez in an interview with Rappler said despite the past differences with the vice president, he does not hold any grudges and signifies support for her as a Mindanaoan leader.
“I do not hold grudges. I am too old for that,” he said.
Alvarez also mended ties with former Vice President Leni Robredo during her bid for the presidency in 2022.
When asked if the Hakbang ng Maisug will snowball into his plan for a movement for secession, Duterte said everything is still being consulted. He admits that he could not lead this campaign because of his age and health.
But this move is not supported by Mindanao congressmen. In their press conference in Manila, House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe (Zamboanga), Camiguin Rep. Jurdin Romualdo, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, and Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, all said that Duterte’s idea may not be beneficial to the country and said it is more important to push for national unity. (davaotoday.com)
charter change, federalism, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Mindanao, rodrigo duterte
