‘Secession is not the answer to Mindanao’s concerns,’ says Abalos

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. speaks during a joint press conference on Friday, January 26, 2024. (File photo from Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. has called on Filipinos to uphold the “sanctity of the Philippine Constitution.”

His appeal comes, following the call of former President Rodrigo Duterte to separate Mindanao from the rest of the country.

“To ensure continued peace, progress and development in Mindanao, the Philippines must remain united and undivided,” Abalos said in a statement issued on February 3.

The Secretary likewise said the former president’s proposal to create a “separate and independent Mindanao” will not solve the problems in the south.

“Secession is not the answer to Mindanao’s concerns. It would violate the fundamental tenets of our Constitution,” he said.

“It would destroy the territorial integrity of the Philippines, and disrupt decades of painstaking effort to build a stronger union among all our peoples and ethnicities,” he added.

During a press conference on January 31, Duterte said they are looking to start a movement for an independent Mindanao.

He cited little to no progress “after so many presidents” as the reason.