Group calls Duterte’s revolutionary government his ‘dictatorship dream’

MANILA, Philippines — An anti-tyranny group on Sunday said President Rodrigo Duterte’s idea of a revolutionary government is nothing but a one-man dictatorship he has been dreaming of since last year.

In a statement, Movement Against Tyranny denounced Duterte’s plan to declare a revolutionary government. It said the president just wants to use his power and impose a one-man rule that would “trample people’s democratic rights.”

“We will not be cowed. We will not be silenced,” the group said.

The group’s statement came after Duterte said he would not hesitate to declare a revolutionary government when the destabilizers are on the brink of taking over the government. He accused the Communist Party of the Philippines of being involved in government destabilization efforts.

Movement Against Tyranny said Duterte just wants to concentrate all governmental power to himself as a president.

“He wants to further dismantle whatever little is left of the systems checks and balances provided by a rubberstamp Congress, a Supreme Court dominated by his and former Pres. Arroyo's appointees, and easily intimidated Constitutional bodies like the Office of the Ombudsman and Commission on Human Rights,” the group said.

“He aims to further intimidate the critical press and overwhelm social media with his fake news churning troll army,” it added.

The group expressed fears that Duterte would have to declare martial law in order to impose his revolutionary regime on the people. It likened Duterte’s plan to that of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

It added that declaring martial law means banning all forms of public criticism and dissent such as political demonstrations, cultural shows and even social media posts. It said that if the declaration happens there would be a “wide-scale and utter disregard for due process, human rights, and civil liberties.”

“Marcos tried the same thing before, resulting in 14 years of cronyism, plunder of the national treasury and economy and wholesale human rights violations of the worst kind,” it said.

“The same old oligarchic interests will remain, with Duterte's family and friends as the favored cronies. The same old kowtowing to foreign interests. The same old corruption and criminality except cornered by Duterte clique, the Davao group and even the ascendant mafia in the illegal drug business,” it also said.

Opposition party Liberal Party and cause-oriented group Tindig Pilipinas also hit Duterte for threatening to declare a revolutionary government to control alleged destabilization plots of his critics.

Tindig Pilipinas called Duterte “paranoid” and “insecure” for his threat saying he is just afraid of losing power.

On the other hand, LP president Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan slammed Duterte for insisting that the party is cooking a destabilization plot against him. He reiterated criticism and dissent are not tantamount to a destabilization of the government and that it is part of exercising democracy. 

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