Alvarez 'thanks' Romualdez over renewed calls for Mindanao independence

Davao del Norte 1st District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez on Wednesday said Speaker Martin Romualdez's handling of the ongoing people's initiative has added fire to renewed calls for the secession of Mindanao from the Philippines.

In an online interview, Alvarez said it had been his advocacy for many years now to have an independent Mindanao "where we can be free and we can chart our own destiny as a nation."

"Honestly, nagpapasalamat din ako kay Martin Romualdez na dahil sa mga ginawa niya, ito ay nasindihan muli. Nabuhay," Alvarez said.

(Honestly, I would like to thank Martin Romualdez because of what he has done. Calls for Mindanao's independence have been rekindled.)

Asked to clarify what specific actions of Romualdez he was referring to, Alvarez replied, "'Yung mga nangyayari ngayon gaya ng hindi maayos na people's initiative at itong ginagawa niya sa budget sa Mindanao, kagaya halimbawa rito sa Davao Region. Ako lang dito sa distrito ko, ang laki po ng tinanggal na mga infrastructure projects na prinogram ng DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) after Regional Development Council consultation."

(These include the mishandling of the people's initiative and Mindanao's budget. Here in Davao Region, in my district, much of the budget for infrastructure projects which were programmed by the DPWH were eventually removed after Regional Development Council consultation.)

Alvarez, who also served as speaker during the early years of the Duterte administration, said his district had experienced several landslides and floodings because flood control projects were canceled last year and this year.

"It seems na wala na talagang pag-asa para maayos ang lugar namin dito sa Mindanao," Alvarez lamented.

(It seems there is no hope that our place in Mindanao will improve.)

GMA News Online has requested comment from the Romualdez's office regarding Alvarez's statements.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been a vocal critic of President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos over the recent days, on Tuesday evening mentioned the idea of Mindanao seceding from the Philippines through a process based on gathering signatures.

Duterte cited Alvarez as an advocate who pushed for the "desirability of Mindanao seceding from the Republic of the Philippines."

Signatures for independence

Alvarez said he and those who share his advocacy for Mindanao's independence are planning to go around the Philippines' southern major island and gather signatures of support.

"Hindi madaling gawin ito. Mahirap din dahil gagawin namin ito nang maayos. Walang gulo. Walang gulo definitely. Gagawin namin, kailangan kahit na mahirap gawin, 'yung ikutan yung buong Mindanao para ipaliwanag sa lahat ng taga-Mindanao kung bakit ginagawa namin ito at bakit namin gagawin ito," he said.

(This is not an easy task. It will be difficult because we want to do it the right way. Everything should be done smoothly. We will do it even if it is hard. We will go all over Mindanao to explain to all Mindanaoans why we are doing this and why will will do it.)

Asked if this would mean that representatives from the International Criminal Court (ICC) would be barred from entering the independent Mindanao, Alvarez replied, "Puwede 'yon kasi ibang bansa na 'yan."

(That's possible because that will be another country.)

Duterte's tirades against Marcos came days after former senator Antonio Trillanes IV said investigators from the International Criminal Court (ICC) had already conducted interviews in the Philippines regarding their probe on the war on drugs.

Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, who served as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) under Duterte, earlier challenged Malacañang to be man enough and tell them upfront if the ICC investigators had already entered the country.

Support from the south

Meanwhile, Alvarez called on his fellow lawmakers from Mindanao to support this advocacy.

Alvarez said differences between Duterte and Marcos should be set aside to pave the way for an independent Mindanao.

Regarding the rift between Marcos and Duterte, the Davao del Norte lawmaker said does not want any conflict.

"Ayaw ko na (I don't want that). We are too old for that. [Let's look for] common ground where we can set aside our differences and agree and unite for one purpose — Mindanao Independent," he added.

While Duterte had described Alvarez as the one who first pushed for Mindanao's secession, late Cagayan de Oro mayor Reuben Canoy actively called for the island's independence in earlier years.

Canoy is the author of "The Quest for Mindanao Independence," published in 1987 by the Mindanao Post Publishing Company.

He was a member of the Duterte administration's Consultative Committee, which drafted proposed changes to the 1987 Constitution including a shift to federalism. — VDV, GMA Integrated News