AMID his recent statements, former President Rodrigo Duterte clarified that he is not advocating for the removal of his successor, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
"Let me be very clear to everybody, I'm not for the ouster of Marcos," Duterte said in an interview with his former presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo aired on dzRJ.
He expressed respect for the people's "free will" in electing Marcos in the 2022 elections.
Duterte said that his primary concern with the current President revolves around his push for Charter change.
During a prayer rally in Davao City on January 29, Duterte referred to Marcos as a drug addict and warned against the people's initiative promoted by Marcos' wife and cousin, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Regarding his proposal for Mindanao to secede from the Philippines, Duterte clarified that it stems from frustration with the previous administrations’ treatment of the island.
He emphasized that his secession plan does not involve warfare but is a legal process to be presented to the United Nations, similar to Timor Leste's case.
"They thought if you want to secede, it's going to be a war. No. We are going to do it the legal way," he added.
Responding to objections based on the 1987 Constitution, Duterte argued, "It is not against the Constitution. It is outside the Constitution. Mag-secede ka nga e," asserting that secession aligns with the people's right to self-determination.
Marcos criticized the call for Mindanao's separation, deeming it "doomed to fail" and a "constitutional travesty" during the "Constitution Day 2024" event in Makati City.
“I strongly appeal to all concerned to stop this call for a separate Mindanao. This is a grave violation of the constitution,” Marcos said. RGL
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