FORMER Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio has described the Mindanao secession call of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte as impossible and “laughable,” saying the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will be the first to oppose such a move.

“First of all, two points: When you declare you want to secede, you may be serious, (but) to the audience, it’s laughable,” said Carpio, when sought for a reaction on Duterte’s call for Mindanao to secede.

“So, I think when Duterte said we must secede, the reaction was laughable because it’s just impossible,” he added.

He said the AFP would be the first to oppose such a move if it is ever taken, as it is tasked under the Constitution to protect the national territory.

“First of all, the Armed Forces of the Philippines is tasked under the Constitution to secure the integrity of the national territory. They will be the first to oppose,” Carpio, a legal luminary, said.

Duterte’s call had been opposed by so many individuals and groups, including former soldier and member of the House of Representatives Gary Alejano, a ranking leader of the Magdalo.

“’Kawawa ang Mindanao.’ Eto ang naririnig natin kay Duterte mula noong nagkakampanya pa siya before the 2016 Elections at ngayon bilang dating pangulo. He used and is still using the regionalism issue para galitin ang taga-Mindanao at para isulong ang kanyang interes,” Alejano said.

He enumerated ways to really know if Mindanao had been neglected by the government, even after having a Mindanaoan as a president in Duterte.

“It’s better to compare the budgetary allocations of the districts in Mindanao vis-a-vis the districts in Visayas and Luzon for the last, say, 20 years. Eto para makita talaga natin kung kawawa ba talaga ang Mindanao. For me, I don’t think that is the case,” Alejano said.

“Naka-6 years na si Duterte as president of the country, tapos sabihin niya dami ng presidente ang nagdaan walang nangyari sa Mindanao? Ilang bilyon ba ang naallocate sa distrito ni Pulong na anak niya? Ilang bilyon ba ang naallocate ni Bong Go sa Mindanao as senator? Imbistigahan mo kaya? O ang Congress na lang mag imbestiga,” he added.

He said that during the term of Duterte, the country had Senate Presidents from Mindanao, even up to now in the person of Sen. Migz Zubiri.

“We also had speaker of the House from Mindanao in the person of Bebot Alvarez. Di pa ba sapat na opportunity ito for Mindanao?” Alejano asked.

He theorized that Duterte is just acting up because the investigation of the International Criminal Court is about to be completed and he is afraid of his accountability in the bloody drug war that claimed the lives of thousands of Filipinos.

“Di ba natatakot lang ‘to si Digong sa imbestigasyon ng ICC at posibleng pag aresto sa kanya kaya kung ano ano na ang sinasabi? Dalawa lang na matinding isyus ang tingin ko na pinagmumulan nito; plan to unseat BBM para swak si Sara at ang isyu ng ICC,” Alejano noted.

“Get your popcorn guys!” he said.