Teodoro, Acorda nix Mindanao separation from Philippines

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Philippine National Police chief Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr. on Monday expressed opposition to the separation of Mindanao from the Philippines.

At a press briefing, Acorda pointed out that many blood and lives had been sacrificed to establish the Philippines as a country.

“These are all defined through our Constitution, iyong territory natin, iyong sovereignty natin. Kumbaga it's not good na after all these sacrifices of our heroes and other kababayans and now that we are enjoying peace,” he said.

(These are all defined through our Constitution, our territory, our sovereignty. I guess it's not good after all these sacrifices of our heroes and other countrymen and now that we are enjoying peace.)

“If there are any efforts of secession or to secede a portion of our country parang hindi maganda and it will only entail…magulo. Ang pinakamaganda talaga diyan is let us be united and let us not entertain these ideas. After all, mapayapa naman tayo, tahimik naman tayo,” he added.

(If there are any efforts of secession or to secede a portion of our country, it doesn't seem good and it will only entail... chaos. The best thing is let us be united and let us not entertain these ideas. After all, we are peaceful.)

For his part, Teodoro said the Department of National Defense will keep its mandate securing the State and the integrity of the national territory.

“The mandate of the DND is to secure the sovereignty of the State and integrity of the national territory as enshrined in the Constitution. We will strictly enforce this mandate whether externally or internally,” Teodoro said in a statement.

Last week, former President Rodrigo Duterte raised the idea of Mindanao seceding from the Philippines through a process based on gathering signatures.

Duterte said Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez 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 the recent drive to amend the 1987 Constitution.

On Sunday, the National Security Council (NSC) said any secession bid will be met with "resolute force.”

“The National Government will not hesitate to use its authority and forces to quell and stop any and all attempts to dismember the Republic,” said National Security Adviser Secretary Eduardo Año in a statement.

 “Any attempt to secede any part of the Philippines will be met by the government with resolute force, as it remains steadfast in securing the sovereignty and integrity of the national territory,” the NSC official added. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News