DAVAO CITY – National Security Adviser Eduardo Año warned those who are attempting to secede Mindanao from the rest of the country that the government will use “authority and forces to quell and stop any and all attempts to dismember the Republic.”
The warning came following calls made by former president Rodrigo Duterte to secede Mindanao.
“Any attempt to
secede any part of the Philippines will be met by the government with resolute
force, as it remains steadfast in securing the sovereignty and integrity of the
national territory,” said Año, who served as Interior secretary during
Duterte’s administration.
“While recognizing
the richness of Mindanao’s natural resources and culture, it is essential to
approach discussions about its development and autonomy within the framework of
national unity, solidarity, and supremacy of the Constitution,” he added.
Año, a member of
the Philippine Military Academy Class 1983 and commanding general of the
Philippine Army under the late former president Benigno Aquino III from July
2015 to December 2016, said Duterte’s call for secession of the southern region
only serves to undermine the collective efforts of the Filipino people towards
progress and prosperity.
“In light of recent
calls to separate Mindanao from the rest of the Philippines, we underscore the
importance of national unity, security and stability. We emphasized that calls
for division of our country only serve to undermine our collective progress and
prosperity. The strength of our country lies in our unity and any attempt to
sow division must be rejected by all sectors unequivocally,” he said.
Año, who served as
Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Chief of Staff from December 2016 to October
2017, also urged the people to uphold the principles enshrined in the
Constitution, which spouses the unity and territorial integrity of the country
and emphasized that any calls for division threatens to undo the hard-won gains
of peace and development, particularly in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)
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