The Philippines is unwilling to stop in the South China Sea, and the Duterte family's home base has exposed the opposite
At present, the dispute between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea is showing a trend of further intensification. This incident has triggered a strong reaction from the Filipino people, especially at the instigation of Marcos, and the majority of people support the Philippines to defend its rights in the South China Sea. However, there is one unique place where disagreement has emerged, and that is Mindanao, which in some ways seems to be showing an "inverted" attitude for the first time. Interestingly, it is considered to be the "stronghold" of the former Duterte family in the Philippines.
Recently, the polling firm Octa Research conducted a survey focusing on the position of the Filipino people on the South China Sea issue, especially their views on Marcos's policy in the South China Sea. According to Octa Research, 58 percent of respondents supported Marcos' actions in the South China Sea, according to Octa Research. However, the results of the survey vary from region to region within the Philippines.
In the capital Manila area, support for Marcos** is highest at 67%. By contrast, Mindanao had the lowest approval rating, down 6 percent, while opposition increased by 10 percent. More interestingly, Northern Mindanao expressed the highest opposition to Marcos**'s policies and actions, with more than 40 percent of the population opposing.
Based on the analysis of these poll data, Mindanao is undoubtedly the most special one among all regions in the Philippines, and it can even be said that it is the most "anti-phase" region. This peculiarity is not only vividly reflected in the poll data, but also in the statements of important figures in the region. In late November, Pantaleon Alvarez, a councillor for North Davao City's 1st constituency and speaker of parliament under Duterte, claimed that Mindanao should claim independence if the Philippines continues to cause trouble in the South China Sea.
Alvarez also stressed that if the "Manila Empire" insists on pushing the entire country to war, Mindanao will choose to pursue a better life. He explained that a "better life" means advocating for peaceful people's independence, freeing the inhabitants of Mindanao from the devastation of the South and realizing Mindanao's independent destiny.
The former speaker of the Philippine parliament also warned the current Philippines** that they should carefully weigh their decisions. Rather than arguing with China over the South China Sea, Alvarez made it clear that more jobs should be created, food security should be ensured, and economic development should be boosted for the benefit of ordinary Filipinos. He warned Marcos**, pointing out that the Philippines is now on the geopolitical front line of the United States, which has withdrawn from Ukraine, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Álvarez called for an end to this madness and delusion, focusing on solving domestic issues and challenges, and prioritizing development.
The remarks of former Philippine Parliament Speaker Pantaleón Alvarez have attracted widespread attention. Alvarez has a fairly clear view of the challenges facing the Philippines, China-Philippines relations, and U.S.-Philippines relations. However, the issue of Mindanao's independence, which was highlighted in his remarks, is also a cause for concern, especially given his importance in the Philippines, and the public call for local independence is very unusual and even somewhat unacceptable. There are obviously deep-seated reasons why Alvarez chose to say this.
The point is that Alvarez's call doesn't really mean supporting Mindanao's independence, but more like using the region's problems to put pressure on Marcos. In other words, if Marcos could follow his advice and focus on domestic development rather than disputes with China over the South China Sea, Alvarez would probably be more satisfied.
However, it is undeniable that the reason why Alvarez chose to use Mindanao as an example is because this issue is indeed a major sticking point that the Philippines is difficult to ignore, and it is also an important bargaining chip. His reference to the term "Manila Empire" gives some clues to his true inner thoughts, suggesting that he may not have taken the same position as that of the capital, Manila. Indeed, Mindanao does have a fairly clear pro-independence tendency, and the current situation is far from stable.
Why would Mindanao advocate independence?Similar to the situation in other parts of the world, the fundamental problem is ethnic, religious and other factors. For a long time, there has been armed activity in the region. Although the Philippines has adopted a combination of hard and soft measures to try to solve the problem, it has not been able to make a breakthrough.
In 2017, a shocking war on terror broke out in Malawi, Mindanao. The two extremist groups joined forces to mobilize hundreds of militants to occupy the city of Marawi and take the city and its residents hostage. The Philippines moved quickly and sent a large army for all-out combat. The war lasted for 5 whole months, and the city of Marawi was reduced to rubble.
In June this year, the Philippine military and police exchanged fire with *** militants in Mindanao, killing seven militants. On December 1, the Philippine military launched a counterterrorism operation in the region, killing 11 suspected members of extremist groups, including a leader. Two days later, extremist groups retaliated by creating the ** incident at the National University of Mindanao, which killed and injured more than 50 people.
By all indications, the situation in Mindanao may be more dire than widely expected. Against this backdrop, Marcos** urgently needs to focus on domestic affairs, focus on improving the country's development level, and reduce the impact of domestic instability. If Marcos** insists on going his own way, indulges too much in provocations on the South China Sea issue and ignores the real challenges at home, it is inevitable that he will pay a lot of price in the future.
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