More officials in local government units (LGUs) in Mindanao are moving to declare political analyst Richard Heydarian persona non grata over his controversial remark comparing Mindanao’s Human Development Index (HDI) to sub-Saharan Africa.

These LGUs include El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental; Iligan City; Davao City; and Valencia City and Lantapan in Bukidnon.

El Salvador City Councilor John Noble sponsored a resolution declaring Heydarian persona non grata in the city for his “false narratives” and “baseless comparison.”

“According to the United Nations Development Program, South Mindanao has Human Development Index that is far better than numerous areas in Sub-Saharan Africa,” the proposed resolution said.

In Iligan City, Mayor Frederick Siao condemned Heydarian’s statement calling it unfair and misleading.

Siao also wrote a letter to the City Council urging the legislative body to pass a resolution declaring Heydarian persona non grata in the city.

“This measure is not merely symbolic but a necessary step to safeguard the pride, dignity, and reputation of our city and its people. It will also serve as a strong statement against the spread of misinformation and prejudice that seeks to diminish the accomplishments of Mindanao,” reads part of the letter.

In his letter, Siao said he found the statement of Heydarian a “grave insult” to the city and Northern Mindanao and his “baseless comparison” has tarnished the image of the region, both nationally and globally.

“Mr. Heydarian’s comments are not only misleading but also divisive, fostering unnecessary prejudice and discrimination against the people of Mindanao,” the letter added.

According to a report by GMA Super Radyo Davao, a councilor in Davao City also filed a proposed resolution declaring Heydarian persona non grata.

Meanwhile, the City Council of Valencia City and Sangguniang Bayan of Lantapan in Bukidnon have already passed a resolution declaring Heydarian persona non grata.

“The statement is against the people of Mindanao, causing offense, disrespect, and dismay among the residents of Lantapan and the broader Mindanaoan community,” the resolution of the Sangguniang Bayan of Lantapan said.

“Declaring Mr. Richard Heydarian persona non grata serves as an expression of the municipality’s collective indignation and disapproval of statements that promote discrimination and disrespect,” it added.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), HDI is a summary measure of average achievement in key aspects of human development: health, being knowledgeable, and having a decent standard of living.

In an interview with an international TV network following the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, Heydarian said that the HDI in Luzon is comparable to that of Southern Europe while that of Mindanao, where Duterte came from, is comparable to sub-Saharan African level.

During the interview, Heydarian was explaining how Duterte continues to have massive support in Mindanao, an area he described as “one of the poorest areas of the country” - how grievances of residents against the national government have reportedly been weaponized.

His statements drew social media backlash and widespread criticism.

However, Heydarian has maintained that his statements were taken out of context and twisted by what he called as fake news peddlers.

Heydarian said he was actually explaining the context of Duterte’s popularity, which has been due to imperial Manila’s neglect of Mindanao.

“If anyone felt hurt I apologize. I didn’t mean to insult anyone. It was a one minute I had to explain the development gap and injustice of that that we have to solve,” Heydarian said in a video post.

In a latest post on Facebook, Heydarian posted an updated HDI for some regions in Mindanao in 2024, indicating medium to high HDI.

He said he has to confirm this with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

“I stand corrected (with this data update). I still need to confirm this database with NEDA, but more than happy to see such immense progress in Mindanao and its HDI score – and again my sincere apologies for any unintended hurt to our great kababayans,” Heydarian said.