MANILA - The Philippines’ defence minister on Feb 5 vowed to “strictly enforce” the country’s sovereignty, joining the chorus of security officials pledging to defend the nation following secessionist threats made by former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Mr Duterte on Jan 30 called for the independence of his hometown island of Mindanao in southern Philippines as his alliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr disintegrated last week over disagreements around efforts to amend the Constitution.

“The mandate of the Department of National Defence is to secure the sovereignty of the state and integrity of the national territory as enshrined in the Constitution,” Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said in a statement.

"We will strictly enforce this mandate, whether externally or internally," he added.

Mr Teodoro’s remarks echoed similar statements made by the national security adviser, who on Feb 4, said the government will not hesitate to “use its authority and forces to quell and stop any and all attempts to dismember the Republic”.

Mr Duterte made history by becoming the first Philippine president to hail from the resource-rich Mindanao island, which has been plagued by violence and conflict for decades as the government battled insurgents and extremists. The unrest has discouraged investments and left many villages in poverty.

General Romeo Brawner, Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), reminded troops while visiting military camps in Mindanao on Feb 4 that “we swore an oath that we will always follow the chain of command, be loyal to the Constitution and our duly constituted authorities”.

“Let us continue to show that with a strong and united AFP, we will have a strong and united Philippines,” Gen Brawner said. REUTERS