Galvez to public: Reject plan to separate Mindanao from PH

Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Friday called on Filipinos to be united in light of a proposal to separate Mindanao from the Philippines.

"When we, as Filipinos, are united, there is peace, development and prosperity. But when we, as a people, are divided, there is instability, underdevelopment and disorder," Galvez said in a statement.

"Let us therefore turn away from any call or movement that aims to destabilize our beloved nation, especially to separate Mindanao from the rest of the country," he added.

For Galvez, the call for separation of Mindanao is against the Constitution. He also said it goes against the principles of the country that is already benefiting from the comprehensive peace process that ended the decades of armed conflict in Mindanao.

Galvez urged Filipinos to keep their support to the peace, reconciliation, and unity agenda of the Marcos administration.

He said that even members of former revolutionary groups are already helping the government in pushing for true peace and sustainable development in the Bangsamoro region through inclusive, people-centered moral governance.

"Mindanao has already shed its image as a land of volatility, violence and armed struggle. It has now become a symbol of hope, mutual understanding and solidarity, and most of all, a shining example that good things come to those who choose the path of peace," Galvez said.

"We cannot afford to go back to square one," he added.

BARMM

Galvez's call was echoed by Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim, who urged the public to continue supporting the Marcos administration and help protect the gains of the peace processes.

"Let us continue to support the current administration and allow peace and civility to reign over the affairs of our land," Ebrahim said in a separate statement.

Ebrahim said that as the current head of BARMM, he stands "firmly on adhering to the faithful implementation of the provisions of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).

Signed in 2014, the CAB became the basis for crafting the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which was passed in 2018 to allow the creation of BARMM.

"Although more has yet to be done, Parties to the CAB have made great strides in the  implementation of its components that are ultimately beneficial to the Bangsamoro people," the BARMM leader said. 

"We remain grateful for, and acknowledge, the significant contributions made by past and present Presidents of the Philippines in arriving at the peaceful settlement of the Bangsamoro Question."

Only forward

In a separate statement, Atty. Suharto Ambolodto, a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), noted that under the Marcos administration's Bagong Pilipinas campaign, ''peace and prosperity can be achieved through unity and stability.''

According to Ambolodto, the Bangsamoro people have already endured impoverishment and terror brought about decades of armed secessionism, but under the Bagong Pilipinas, it has intensified the delivery of services for the welfare of the Bangsamoro.

“President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has not only intensified national government support [for] the Bangsamoro peace and development, but has pushed for an inclusive and sustainable unification of the autonomous region,” said the BTA official.

“We cannot afford to squander that gains of the peace process. Former AFP chief of staff and current Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. (Ret.), has aptly stated that we cannot afford to go back to square one. We must always choose peace and remain united, as it is the only way to move forward, as one people and one nation,'' he added.

Opposed to the idea

At a news conference on Tuesday, former President Rodrigo Duterte raised the idea of Mindanao seceding from the Philippines through a process based on gathering signatures.

A former mayor of Davao City who served for multiple terms, Duterte said it was Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez who first pushed for the "desirability of Mindanao seceding from the Republic of the Philippines."

Alvarez said the push for the separation of Mindanao would be done through a signature campaign, similar to recent drive to amend the Constitution.

Alvarez, a former speaker, said Mindanao has long been neglected despite its natural wealth.

Several lawmakers, however, rejected the idea of a separate Mindanao, and former Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, who hails from Davao, branded it as "foolishness" and a mere "slogan."

"This is just a slogan. There is nothing to secede, it is against the Constitution. That is threatening the integrity of the national territory," Carpio said. —with a report from Anna Felicia Bajo/ KBK/ VDV, GMA Integrated News