Rep. Rufus Rodriguez says secession not beneficial to Mindanao
Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker emphasized on Saturday that separating Mindanao from the rest of the country would not be beneficial to the island.
The secession might drive away investors even though there is already good economic progress in most of its provinces, said Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez.
READ: Duterte now wants ‘separate, independent’ Mindanao
“It is counterproductive. It scares away investors. Most of our island – the Davao provinces in particular, the bailiwick of PRRD [President Rodrigo Roa Duterte] – is now economically progressive and peaceful, including the BARMM [Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao] area,” he said in a statement.
But Rodriguez pointed out that Mindanao still needs a larger budget from the current administration.
“Mindanaonons should trust and give a chance to President Marcos to support and develop Mindanao after all he is just 1 year and 7 months into his 6 year term,” he said.
Meanwhile, the congressman also urged former president Duterte and former House of Representatives Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to end any discussion about separating Mindanao from Luzon and Visayas.
“The former president, former Speaker and their followers should stop any talk and any actual plan, if there is any, to secede Mindanao. President Marcos has categorically stated that he would not permit our national territory to be reduced ‘even by one square inch’ and would not allow ‘even an iota of suggestion of its breaking apart,” Rodriguez said.
