PBBM: Call for Mindanao separation ‘grave violation of Constitution’

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 8, 2024): PBBM: Call for Mindanao separation ‘grave violation of Constitution’ (By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos)

(File photo)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday opposed the call to separate Mindanao from the Philippines, saying it is a “grave violation of the Constitution.”

“The new call for a separate Mindanao is doomed to fail, for it is anchored on a false premise, not to mention a sheer constitutional travesty,” Marcos said in a speech during the commemoration of the Constitution Day at the Makati Shangri La.

“I strongly appeal to all concerned to stop this call for a separate Mindanao. It is a grave violation of the Constitution,” he added.

As the country’s president, Marcos said it is his sworn duty to preserve and defend the Constitution.

He said he rejects the secession of Mindanao because the Constitution calls for a “united [and] undivided country.”

He added that even the political leaders from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and other parts of Mindanao are opposed to the idea of separating the region from the entire country.

“This is because there can be, as in fact there is already, genuine and effective local autonomy throughout our country, especially in the BARMM, without compromising our national integrity in the slightest degree,” Marcos said.

“Hindi ito ang 'Bagong Pilipinas' na ating hinuhubog. Bagkus, ito ay pag-wasak mismo sa ating bansang Pilipinas (This is not the New Philippines we are building. Rather, it is the destruction of our country, the Philippines).”

Marcos said he is committed to protecting the national territory, and emphasized that a “divided public cannot prosper.”

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Our national territory will not be diminished, even by one square inch. We will continue to defend from any threats, external and internal. We will not allow even an iota of suggestion of its breaking apart,” he said.

“It was unity that made us rise from pandemic challenges and under the banner of the rule of law, the supremacy of the Constitution, our unity, both of our people and our territorial domain will continue to fuel our ascent and the further pursuit of our collective goals and aspirations as a nation,” Marcos added.

Marcos’ predecessor, former president Rodrigo Duterte, earlier raised the idea of having a separate and independent Mindanao.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1218552