‘DND to secure state against secession’
DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said Monday that the department is duty-bound to secure the sovereignty of the state amid calls for the secession of Mindanao.
In a statement, Teodoro said that the mandate of the Department of National Defense (DND) “is to secure the sovereignty of the State and integrity of the national territory as enshrined in the Constitution.”
“We strictly enforce this mandate whether externally or internally,” he said.
Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. similarly underscored Teodoro’s point and encouraged soldiers to maintain the same level of professionalism and loyalty as he introduced the AFP’s new battle cry: “One AFP, One Philippines.”
“Let us remain loyal to the Constitution and to the duly constituted authorities. We have only one Armed Forces of the Philippines and we only have one nation,” Brawner said.
“If we have a very strong AFP, we will have a strong country. This is why we will pursue our modernization and we will develop our capabilities,” he added.
“Let us prepare ourselves, make ourselves more competent in our jobs,” Brawner said.
No secession
On Monday, the Department of Justice (DoJ) declared its strong opposition to calls for the secession of Mindanao.
In a statement, the DoJ stressed that secession runs contrary to the principles of the country’s democratic society, as stated in Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution.
“As the principal law agency of the executive branch, the DoJ remains committed to protecting our sovereignty and upholding the sanctity of the highest law of the land,” it said.
The Justice department called on Filipinos to “reject secessionist ideologies and work together for a strong, united, and undivided Bagong Pilipinas.”
“Our nation’s strength unity,” it said.
The DoJ’s statement was released in response to former president Rodrigo Duterte’s recent declaration that political forces in Davao would regroup to start a movement for a separate and independent Mindanao.
Duterte said Mindanao would rather be “independent since nothing has happened in the Philippines after so many presidents.”
Davao del Norte 1st District lies in Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, who will head the new movement that will push for the separation of the South from the republic, said Mindanao may follow the track taken by Singapore in the 1960s when it separated from Malaysia and became an independent state.
Earlier, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said in a statement that any attempt to secede “will be met by the government 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,” Año said.
He said calls for secession could reverse the gains of the government’s peace deal with former separatist groups.
Violence and conflict had plagued Mindanao for decades as the government battled insurgents and extremists, which has discouraged investments and left many villages in poverty.