SOCIAL Studies 101 lessons: The Speaker of the House before entering upon the discharge of his duties, take an oath or affirmation to, among other obligations to uphold and defend the Constitution; that he will bear true faith and allegiance to it.
That means defending “The national territory comprises the Philippine archipelago, with all the islands and waters embraced therein, and all other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction, consisting of its terrestrial, fluvial and aerial domains, including its territorial sea, the seabed, the subsoil, the insular shelves, and other submarine areas,” of Article 1 National Territory of the 1986 or even the 1973 and 1936 versions of the Philippine Constitution.
This is pretty fundamental. Junior students could probably cite this in their sleep. So what’s the big deal?
For one thing, our current speaker of the House Speaker Pantaleon Díaz Alvarez has a history of not defending the national patrimony.
Alvarez took this oath of office when he assumed office as then Secretary of Transportation. He should know that as a public official, he is obligated to defend the fundamental law of the land.
Guess what? In the last decade, Alvarez batted for secession of all of Mindanao from the Philippines. He organized the One People Mindanao, a movement lobbying for a separate Mindanao Republic.
Alvarez went to Zamboanga City to convince Sultan of Sulu and North Borneo Sharif Ibrahim Ajibul Mohammad Pulalun to support the proposal. He said that he will “not allow Mindanao to be dismembered and for Muslims to be used for political agenda.”
Alvarez previously said only a separate Mindanao Republic can help solve the problems the island is facing. He said a charter change as proposed by lawmakers would not resolve the current political problems and crisis the country was then experiencing.
Alvarez was so optimistic on the proposal for Mindanao Republic, the Arab daily noted. He bared that this is the best option and the only way for Mindanao to develop.
“Philippines is like a quicksand. The more it moves, the more it is going to sink. Mindanao has to separate before it happens.”
Indivisible republic? Not on your life!
Hard to believe? Please Google the story Sultan Rejects Secession of Mindanao of the Arab News, the Middle East’s leading English language daily.
Google also a press release “Leaders to push for Mindanao independence in case of power grab” from the Philippine Information Agency.
It’s like expecting Confederate State President Jefferson Davis to move for an indivisible United States of America after the Confederates lost in the American Civil War.
The wonder of it is that no one is holding the current speaker accountable for his previous actions that smacks of treason.
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(bqsanc@yahoo.com)
