Duterte’s RevGov gets support, counter-support
MANILA — As protesters with clashing views on the idea of establishing a revolutionary government cross paths in the country’s capital on Thursday, President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo have a common message to demonstrators: the Constitution must be followed.
Several times in his public remarks, Duterte has threatened to declare a revolutionary government, a form of self-coup disabling the current government system and Constitution.
But early this month, Duterte—in an apparent move to douse fears incited by his threat to revamp the government through extraconstitutional means— called on the military to ignore talks about a revolutionary government.
This was after Robredo said the Armed Forces of the Philippines assured her that it would not back a revolutionary government or any moves “that threatened our Constitution.”
Meanwhile, antigovernment groups and supporters of the administration held separate rallies in various parts of the country on November 30, Bonifacio Day.
Pro-government groups assembled near the presidential palace to convince Duterte to declare a revolutionary government.
In an interview with reporters, Robredo said she is “alarmed” by the support given by some people to Duterte’s proposal to found a revolutionary government.
She said those who back a revolutionary government might be unaware of the implications of such a move.
“‘Yung pagdeklara ng revolutionary government sinasabi natin na wala na tayong paniniwala sa gobyernong ito, wala tayong paniniwala sa Konstitusyon (Declaring a revolutionary government means we no longer have faith in this government and in our Constitution),” Robredo said.
“Parang gusto ka magalsa laban sa pamahalaan na isa ka sa mga kinatawan. Parang very ironic yung ganong sitwasyon (It’s like you are told to revolt against the government which you are a part of. That’s a very ironic situation),” she added.
Without dropping names, the vice president said it’s disturbing that the idea of establishing a revolutionary government is being pushed by government officials who were elected in accordance with the Constitution.
“Kaya naka-alarma kung mga kinatawan ng pamahalaan mismo ‘yung nagsusulong nito kasi ibig sabihin ‘yung plataporma kung saan parang nagascend ka sa responsibilidad mo ngayon... parang in effect sinasabi mo hindi ka na dito naniniwala at gusto mo umalsa laban dito (It’s very alarming that those who represent the government are the ones pushing for the declaration of a revolutionary government because, in effect, it means they no longer believe in the platform that ascended them to their responsibilities and they want to rise up against it),” she said.
Asked for his message to supporters of his plan to set up a revolutionary government, Duterte said he hopes the day where he would be forced to make such a declaration would not come.
“I hope there will never be a time that I will be compelled to call for it. Ako basta abogado (I am a lawyer) and we follow the constitution,” the president said in an interview with presidential communications assistant secretary Mocha Uson on Tuesday.