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- EDD K. USMAN | Twitter: @edd1819 | Instagram: @bluestar0910 | Facebook: SDN — SciTech and Digital News
(SDN) — Former President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s call for an independent Mindanao has received a cold reception from many high-ranking Moro government officials.
Ordinary Moro citizens have expressed the view the former Chief Executive’s call was decades late.
Duterte, they said, should have come on board when the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were fighting the government to secure Mindanao’s independence and an Islamic State for the MILF.
And of the top-ranking Moro leaders, Datu Suharto T. Mangudadatu, Ph.D., director general and secretary of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), has also taken exception to the proposed dismemberment of the Philippine archipelago.
To this effect, he issued a statement on the “Separation of Mindanao from the Philippines”.
In an official statement he emphasized unity and indivisibility of the Filipino nation.
“We stand as a united country, One Philippines for the Filipino,” the former governor of the province of Sultan Kudarat pointed out, opening his statement with a call for unity.
He referenced what he described as the interconnection of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao in the country’s history “through shared experiences and collaborative efforts.”
“Our nation’s unity is not just symbolic, it is the bedrock of our advancement and well-being. While an independent Mindanao could thrive with its abundant resources and capable governance, it is highly important that we cherish and preserve our collective heritage as one united Filipino nation,” Mangudadatu emphasized.
Below is the TESDA director general’s full statement:
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OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF TESDA SECRETARY SUHARTO T. MANGUDADATU ON THE SEPARATION OF MINDANAO FROM THE PHILIPPINES
05 February 2024
“We stand as a united country, One Philippines for the Filipino.
“Mindanao from the Philippines have prompted us to emphasize the importance of unity among Filipinos. Over the course of history, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao have been interconnected through shared experiences and collaborative efforts.
“Our nation’s unity is not just symbolic, it is the bedrock of our advancement and well-being. While an independent Mindanao could thrive with its abundant resources and capable governance, it is highly important that we cherish and preserve our collective heritage as one united Filipino nation.
“Our regions have long collaborated in different sectors, including agriculture, education, healthcare, and commerce. TESDA has tirelessly worked to provide skills training and development opportunities to individuals across the archipelago empowering them to contribute meaningfully to our nation’s workforce and economy.
“Cooperation and collaboration are the keys to ensure that the synergy of Luzon Visayas and Mindanao remains a pillar of national stability and growth. Division can only affect the full potential of our country’s economic strength.
“It is really important for us to work together and unite in advancing projects that will contribute to the development of our country. Let us approach this matter with practicality and forward-thinking, understanding that our strength lies in coming together, not in being divided. The solution does not lie in fragmentation. Instead, let us promote cooperation, comprehension, and sustainable progress for a united nation under a single guiding faith.”
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After Duterte’s call for Mindanao’s separation, leaders of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) spurned the former President’s call.
BARMM Chief Minister Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim, who chairs the MILF, instead, expressed “unwavering commitment” on ensuring the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro’s (CAB) continuous implementation.
The CAB is the fruit of the 17 years peace negotiations between the Government of the Philippines and the MILF founded by Al-Azhar University alumnus Ustadhz Salamat Hashim.
Ebrahim made the statement without mentioning Duterte’s call for Mindanao independence.
“As the Chief Minister of the Bangsamoro Government, I stand firmly on adhering to the faithful implementation of the provisions of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) towards the right to self-determination,” he emphasized.
In a related development, four of the five provincial governors of the Bangsamoro region issued a collective statement also turning down Duterte’s call.
The BARMM five are Governos Yshmael I. Sali (Tawi-Tawi); Mamintal A. Adiong, Jr. (Lanao del Sur); Hadjiman S. Hataman-Salliman (Basilan); Bai Maryam Sangki Mangudadatu (Maguindanao del Sur); and Abduraof A. Macacua (Maguindanao del Norte).
“We, the Governors of the (BARMM), stand resolutely committed to the full-scale development of our provinces, unwaveringly pursuing our enduring vision of achieving profound peace and prosperity,” four of the five governors made clear.
They added that the implementation of the peace agreement between the national government and the MILF “serves as a dynamic force, yielding substantial and profound outcomes of peace that resonate powerfully across the entire region.” (/)