Joma Sison: 'Duterte to become fascist dictator under new charter'

MANILA, Philippines — The proposed Charter change (Cha-cha) for a federal form of government is intended to install President Duterte as a fascist dictator, Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Jose Maria Sison said last Monday.     

In a statement titled “Why the Duterte regime is isolated and hated by the Filipino people” posted last July 14 in the National Democratic Front (NDF) website, Sison said the overwhelming majority of the people vigorously oppose Cha-cha that would put Duterte in a position of absolute power.

“Duterte is obsessed with establishing a fascist dictatorship a la (Ferdinand Marcos Sr.), his political idol, whose extrajudicial killings of around 3,500 over 14 years of autocratic rule he has already surpassed several times in only two years,” Sison said.

Sison said Duterte’s crackdown is now directed against the CPP and its armed wing New People’s Army (NPA) as well as leaders and activists of democratic organizations in the anti-Duterte front.

“They are coordinated in railroading the Cha-cha for federalism as the draft contains provisions that allow Duterte to have legislative and judicial powers in addition to executive powers during the transition period,” Sison said.

Sison noted that the same trick was used by Marcos to engineer a coup against the 1935 Constitution, adding that Duterte’s allies in Congress assure him to concentrate all powers of government in his hand.

“In a futile effort to deceive the people, he has announced that he would step down as soon as the fascist type of federal constitution would be ratified. But the people do not believe that he would give to another person what he has long craved for,” said Sison. ?       

The CPP founding chairman said Duterte is obsessed with monopolizing political power and accused the President of deliberately blocking the government and NDF negotiations for political and constitutional reforms.   

“Duterte admits that he knows nothing about economics. But he has chosen as policymakers or economic managers economists who adhere to the neoliberal policy regime,” Sison said.

AFP, PNP resentment

Sison also claimed that there is growing resentment with in the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police against Duterte because of being overworked and put in harm’s way too often.

“The less deserving among them get promoted. They are being used for extrajudicial killings and other criminal purposes,” Sison said.     

Sison said active and retired officials emulate the examples of those who withdrew support from Marcos in 1986 and Joseph Estrada in 2001 and helped effect their ouster. – With Edith Regalado