©Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures as he delivers his sixth State of the Nation Address (SONA), at the House of Representatives in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, July 26, 2021. REUTERS/Lisa Marie David/ Photo files
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippine government is ready to use “authority and force” against attempts to divide the nation, a security official said on Sunday, after former President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to separate some southern islands from the rest of the archipelago.
Duterte has called for the independence of his hometown Mindanao from the Philippines after his alliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr disintegrated this week over disagreements over efforts to amend the constitution.
Marcos said the 1987 constitutional change was intended to facilitate foreign investment, but Duterte accused him of using the constitutional change to stay in power.
National security adviser Eduardo Ano said in a statement that any attempt to secede “will be met by the government with resolute force,” citing “recent calls to separate Mindanao” but without specifically naming Duterte.
“The national government will not hesitate to use its authority and forces to quell and stop any attempt to dismember the Republic,” Ano said.
Ano said calls for secession could reverse the gains of the government’s peace deal with former separatist groups.
Violence and conflict have plagued Mindanao for decades as the government battled rebels and extremists, which has discouraged investment and left many villages in poverty.
The region’s largest rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), signed a peace deal with the Philippine government in 2014, withdrawing its independence struggle in exchange for greater autonomy in a Muslim region called the Bangsamoro.
Bangsamoro Prime Minister Ahod Ebrahim said in a statement on Friday that he remained committed to the peace agreement, while government peace process adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. called on Filipinos to “walk away from any invitation… to destabilize” the country.
Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Romeo Brawner told soldiers Saturday “to remain united and faithful to the constitution and chain of command.”