THE resolution declaring political analyst Richard Heydarian persona non grata has been delayed due to the absence of a quorum in the 20th Davao City Council.
Councilor Luna Acosta, the proponent of the resolution, said on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod that the motion could not proceed as only 13 councilors were present, falling short of the required 15 out of 26 councilors for a quorum.
“We will take it up in the next session. Hopefully naa nata’y [we will have a] quorum para mapasa na gyud nato ang [so we could pass a] resolution declaring him as persona non grata,” she said.
In a media interview, Acosta affirmed her commitment to pushing the resolution in the next regular session on March 25, expressing confidence that it will gain approval.
Acosta said that the motion is under privilege hour and it can be raised anytime during the next session.
The motion stems from Heydarian’s previous remarks in a mainstream media interview, where he compared Mindanao to Sub-Saharan Africa and Luzon to Southern Europe.
Acosta said that Heydarian’s statements were meant to degrade the supporters of Duterte and that she had heard the sentiments of several Dabawenyos expressing their disapproval of his comments. Acosta added that Heydarian’s statement showed his clear prejudice and bias against Mindanao.
His statement, Acosta said, is an insult to the progress that Mindanao has achieved, as well as an insult to Sub-Sahara Africa since multiple countries in that region are far more advanced than several places in Luzon. She added that the comparison was “unnecessary and overblown.”
Further, Acosta claims that Heydarian’s statements are politically motivated citing that several of Heydarian’s statements were twisted and even called Mindanawons who reacted are racists. She added that Heydarian should check his statements and be aware of what he is saying.
“I think it is already time na i-declare siya as [that we declare him as] persona non grata ,” she said.
She explained that persona non grata is the sentiment of Dabawenyos, which means that Heydarian is not welcome in the city for his statements against Mindanao.
Acosta also said that Heydarian’s apologies are not heartfelt since he continues the narrative that he is the one being mistreated and that he does not have a sense of accountability and responsibility in what he is saying. Acosta said that unless she hears a genuine apology, that’s the only time she will accept it.
Earlier, Acosta, in a privilege speech, raised concerns over Heydarian’s statements, insulting Mindanao and Sub-Saharan Africa. She said that his statements would continue to feed negative stereotypes in Mindanao as well as continued prejudice by normalizing the narrative that the entire region is poverty-stricken compared to other areas in the country.
During the council session, Councilor Diosdado Mahipus Jr., chairperson of the committee on disaster risk management and ethics, raised concerns about declaring Heydarian as persona non grata, saying that the motion needs to be studied.
“I still have reservations on this, because this is very biglaan lang no [immediate], we are now being presented with the proposal for this resolution. Perhaps we could have some time to study the validity of the proposal and its legal consequences, and etc. that may be considered by the body instead of passing it right now,” he said.
The session then held a small recess to discuss the motion, however, it was approved due to the lack of councilors.
Acosta then said that she already studied the motion, hence, she pushed it and that since the motion was already deferred for the next session, the councilors now have one week to study it.
Acosta also clarified that Mahipus’s statements are not the reason why the motion was delayed but because of the city council’s rule to have a quorum before a motion is raised.
The city of Iligan in Lanao del Norte declared Heydarian persona non grata on March 14, while Isabela City in Basilan declared it on March 15, followed by Cotabato in Maguindanao del Norte, El Salvador in Misamis Oriental, and Valencia in Bukidnon.
Meanwhile, Heydarian said his statements were twisted and taken out of context, saying that he’s been to multiple places in Mindanao and that the Human Development Index (HDI) in some parts of Mindanao is far from the cities in Luzon.
“Ang sakit naman pag nakikita natin na tini-twist ng mga kababayan itong sinasabi natin [It really hurts when we see our fellow countrymen twisting what I am saying.] Of course, I never, if anyone felt hurt, well I apologize I didn’t mean to insult anyone. It was just one minute I have to explain,” he said.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, persona non grata is an individual who is not wanted or not welcome in a particular country because they are considered unacceptable by its government. RGP