MANILA, Philippines – Ipinagtanggol ni Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez ang panukalang paghihiwalay ng Mindanao sa kabuuan ng Pilipinas.
Ani Alvarez, nasa “toxic relationship” na ang Mindanao sa Pilipinas kaya kailangan na nitong humiwalay.
Sinabi pa ng dating House speaker na ang bansa ngayon ay isa nang “sinking ship” dahil sa kakulangan ng reporma at problema sa badyet.
“We need to walk away from this toxic relationship,” saad sa pahayag ni Alvarez nitong Biyernes, Pebrero 9.
“Please, just let us go.”
“After all, a lot of people are breaking up this month, let’s just break up. Better for us to be on our own,” dagdag pa nito.
Matatandaan na noong Enero 31 ay sinabi ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na magsasama-sama ang local political forces sa Davao Region upang simulan ang hakbang na maging malaya ang Mindanao at humiwalay sa Pilipinas.
Pangungunahan umano ni Alvarez ang bagong movement na ito.
Ayon sa mambabatas, layon nila na “for Mindanao to finally be allowed to prioritize itself.”
“[Mindanao should] not just be an afterthought because the national government has different priorities. That’s hard. It’s been like this for a long time. If the Philippines can’t provide what we Mindanaons need, why are we still there?” dagdag pa ni Alvarez.
Naghimutok din siya tungkol sa “inequitable distribution” ng government resources at mabagal na implementasyon ng political at electoral reform.
“Why would we go down with the sinking ship? Just let us separate. And those who want to come, just come with us.” RNT/JGC
