THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Mindanao has denied reports claiming that the island is seeking separation from the Philippines or that any move for its secession is being processed at the United Nations (UN).
DFA-Mindanao Assistant Secretary Maria Agnes Cervantes said the agency was surprised by reports published by a national media outlet and circulated widely on digital platforms suggesting that Mindanao’s separation had been confirmed by the DFA.
Speaking during a business forum at Hukad, Abreeza Mall in Davao City on Friday, January 30, 2026, Cervantes said the DFA immediately sought verification through its Intelligence and Security Unit (ISU) after the reports surfaced.
“We were surprised why it came out. We are trying to verify, so far, as of now, there has been no feedback. There is no actual information,” Cervantes said, adding that even the Philippine government would not allow such a move.
She stressed that any attempt at secession would require an extensive and complex legal process, making the reported claims highly unlikely.
“Why should we separate from the Philippines?” the former ambassador added.
Earlier this year, however, a resolution adopted during a series of Mindanao-wide consultative meetings in Cagayan de Oro City stated that proposals on Mindanao’s political status could be submitted to the United Nations Committee on Decolonization for deliberation and possible action, according to a Daily Tribune source.
The source, identified as a United Nations official based in New York, said the Mindanao-wide consultations form part of the requirements should the UN consider deliberating on the belligerency status of Mindanao.
During a consultative meeting at the Limketkai Luxe Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City, participants passed a resolution calling for a peaceful struggle to free Mindanao from what organizers described as “Manila imperialism,” and to elevate its status as an independent federal state under existing international laws.
The resolution was an offshoot of the ongoing Mindanao State of the Nation Conference held at the same venue and attended by leaders from provinces in Northern Mindanao.
Another resolution adopted at the Mindanao People’s Consultative Conference on December 27, 2025, likewise called for a united alliance among Mindanaoans to address what organizers described as long-standing political and economic marginalization.
Organizers said the resolution would be submitted to a planned People’s Congress, which may be held in Cagayan de Oro City or Tagum City, Davao del Norte.
Consultations across Western, Central, and Northern Mindanao consistently emphasized that any political change should be pursued through peaceful means rather than armed struggle.
Calls for Mindanao’s secession resurfaced after a sitting lawmaker released a viral video echoing the same sentiment previously raised by former president Rodrigo Duterte.
In early 2024, Duterte hinted at Mindanao’s independence amid political disputes with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., a proposal that was swiftly rejected by the administration as unconstitutional and a threat to national sovereignty.
President Marcos has repeatedly opposed any move to separate Mindanao from the Philippines, stressing that secession violates the 1987 Constitution and has no legal basis under Philippine law.
National security officials have echoed this stance, warning that the government will use its full “authority and forces” against any attempts to divide the nation, underscoring that while freedom of expression is protected, actions threatening territorial integrity and national security will not be tolerated. DEF