Sen. Robinhood Padilla (Joseph Vidal/Social Media Unit)
MANILA, Philippines — Former president Rodrigo Duterte’s proposed separation of Mindanao from the rest of the Philippines is not impossible but must be accomplished within the bounds of law, Senator Robin Padilla said on Monday.
“It’s not impossible. But it must be legal. Let’s do it in a legal way, not through armed violence or security threats,” Padilla — a convert to Islam, said in Filipino in an interview with ANC.
At a press conference on Jan. 31, Duterte unleashed a volley of tirades against the current administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and proposed to separate Mindanao from the Philippines as, according to him, “nothing” has happened to the island “after so many presidents.”
READ: Duterte now wants ‘separate, independent’ Mindanao
Padilla noted that while the proposal was within the rights of Mindanaoans, it should not end up in any form of violence.
“The people of Mindanao have the right to demand this. But this should not lead to armed conflict or violence. It needs to go through the proper process,” he said.
At the same press conference, Duterte’s ally, Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, mentioned that secession had been successfully carried out in Singapore and such a feat would not be impossible in the Philippines – a claim that Padilla echoed in the interview on Monday.
In 1965, Singapore separated from Malaysia and formed its independent state.
READ: Ex-Pres. Duterte may be held liable for sedition – Romualdos of Camiguin
After calling on the proponents of the latest proposal for a separate Mindanao Republic to adhere to the law, Padilla expressed his support anew to the former president, saying that Duterte would not allow violence to seep through the supposed secessionist movement.
“I believe that FPRRD [Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte] is an author of law and order. I believe that this will not escalate to violence,” he said in Filipino.
Duterte has tasked Alvarez to lead the movement, with the latter claiming that he will follow a procedure laid out by the United Nations to gather signatures to verify that Mindanaoans indeed want a separate republic.
However, a similar signature drive for Charter change is marred by allegations of bribery and involvement with politics, resulting in a rift between the two chambers of Congress.