PAGLABAG sa 1987 Constituon ang panawagan ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na ihiwalay ang Mindanao sa Pilipinas.

Sa talumpati ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. sa Constituion Day sa Shangrila Makati City, sinabi nito na dapat na itigil na ang panawagang ito.

Sabi ni Pangulong Marcos, napapanahon ang paggunita sa Constitution Day ngayong taon dahil mainit na pinag- uusapan ngayon ang pag-amyenda sa Konstitusyon.

“The new call for a separate Mindanao is doomed to fail. For it is anchored on a false premise not to mention a sheer constitutional travesty. The current leadership of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) itself has repudiated this preposterous proposal,” pahayag ni Pangulong Marcos.

Ayon kay Pangulong Marcos, maging ang mga political leaders sa Mindanao ay tutol sa naturang panukala dahil naging genuine at epektibo ang local autonomy sa Mindanao nang hindi nalalagay sa alanganin ang national integrity.

“I strongly appeal to all concerned to stop this call for a separate Mindanao. It is a grave violation of our Constitution. Hindi ito ang Bagong Pilipinas na ating hinuhubog, bagkus ito ay pagwasak sa ating bansang Pilipinas,” pahayag ni Pangulong Marcos.

Malinaw aniya ang nakasaad sa Konstitusyon na magkaisa at hindi pagwatak-watakin ang Pilipinas.

“The Constitution calls for a united undivided country. It calls for eternal cohesion. For this reason, unlike in other constitutions there is nothing in ours that allows the breaking up of this union, such as an exit provision. On the contrary the Constitution does not recognize the right to rebellion, while our criminal laws punishes it. The government has sternly enforced these laws to the letter and spirit, and this administration will be no exception,” pahayag ni Pangulong Marcos.

Binigyang diin ni Pangulong Marcos na hindi babawasan ang teritoryo ng Pilipinas.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Our national territory will not be diminished, even by one square inch. We will continue to defend from any threats, external and internal. We will not allow even an iota of suggestion of its breaking apart,” pahayag ni Pangulong Marcos.

“On this part of the Constitution there is simply no dynamism or flexibility. This is my guarantee not only throughout this term but up to my dying breath,” dagdag ni Pangulong Marcos.

Apela ni Pangulong Marcos sa publiko, huwag talikuran ang bandila.

Dumalo sa Constitution Day sina Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, dating Chief Justice Renato Puno at iba pa.