Philippines: Duterte calls for secession; Defense Minister: "Prevent it by all means"

In doing so, he joined a group of security officials who have vowed to defend the nation following secessionist threats by former President Rodrigo Duterte.
On January 30, Duterte called for independence for his home island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines after his alliance with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. fell apart last week amid disagreements over efforts to change the constitution.
"The mandate of the Department of National Defense is to ensure the sovereignty of the state and the integrity of the national territory as enshrined in the constitution," Defense Minister Gilbert Teodoro said in a statement.
"We will strictly implement this mandate either externally or internally," he added. Teodoro's comments were echoed in a similar tone by the national security advisor, who said on Sunday that the government will not hesitate to "use its authority and forces to suppress and stop all attempts to dismember the Republic." Duterte made history by becoming the first Philippine president to come from the resource-rich island of Mindanao, which has been plagued by violence and conflict for decades as the government battles insurgents and extremists.
The unrest has discouraged investment and left many villages in poverty.