PNP will ‘never’ back revolutionary government

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) will be monitoring groups pushing for the establishment of a revolutionary government, saying it will “never support” the “unconstitutional” ideas of supporters of President Duterte that launched a people’s initiative for federalism.

The police organization’s statement came on the heels of a supposed invitation for PNP chief Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa to join a meeting to talk about the movement.

Gamboa had earlier said he received the invitation from the group Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-National Executive Coordinating Committee (MRRD-NECC), but PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said Gamboa did not attend any such meeting.

The MRRD-NECC, one of the groups that urged Duterte to seek the presidency in 2016, appealed to Filipinos to support the establishment of a revolutionary government to hasten the process of Charter change leading to a federalist system.

“The PNP remains loyal to the Constitution and we follow existing laws as it is part of our sworn duty. We will always uphold the Constitution and obey only the legal authority,” Banac said in an interview aired over radio station dzBB yesterday.

“So anything that calls for that or movements that seek to dismantle or undermine our Constitution or our government, of course, the PNP will not support these because this is against the Constitution,” he added.

The MRRD-NECC said the meeting would serve to lay down the series of activities they plan to hold regarding the initiative.

Over the weekend, about 300 people, including those who participated online, assembled at the Clark Freeport in Pampanga and called for a revolutionary government to be led by Duterte until his term ends in 2022.

Banac said the PNP found the group and the ideas they were pushing “peculiar” and would be studying and monitoring their succeeding actions should their nature eventually turn “unlawful.”

“We need to study and monitor (these groups)… especially those who sent the letter (to the PNP chief). This group and what they’re calling for seems peculiar, so we need to monitor their next steps because they might eventually border on unlawfulness,” he said.

Establishing a revolutionary government at the expense of overthrowing the current government would mean departing from constitutional order, but Duterte himself threatened government critics to establish such a government in 2017 until the end of his term as he claimed that destabilization plots against the government had worsened.

The group noted that the idea of having a revolutionary government was brought about by their frustration with Congress for not acting on the proposed shift to federalism in the country.

Banac said that while the PNP would be on guard, it recognizes the right to assemble and to express disdain.

“We have the freedom to peacefully assemble so even the right to expression is there, we are in a democracy. So, we still do not consider it a critical situation. We can freely invite and join meetings,” he said.

In retrospect, there had been two instances of putting revolutionary governments in place: one in 1898 led by Emilio Aguinaldo and another in 1986 by the late Corazon Aquino. The former was established for Filipinos’ self-rule and become independent from colonial bondage; the latter, to restore democracy that was lost during the martial law of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos.

Palace itself distances from call

Malacañang yesterday distanced itself from the call to declare a revolutionary government to amend the Constitution, saying the administration’s priority is to respond to the effects of the coronavirus disease pandemic.

“The call to establish a revolutionary government came from a private group and the organizers are free to publicly express their opinion,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said in a statement.

“The focus, however, of the administration is addressing COVID-19 and mitigating its socio-economic impact. The most pressing and most urgent concern, which requires the executive’s full attention, is the gradual opening of the economy while safeguarding the people who are working (or) going back to work amid the pandemic,” he added.

Chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo said it may be too late to amend the Constitution through a revolutionary government, but he claimed that in terms of academic discussion, the proposal is “a titillating idea for discourse.”

“If it is a workable concept, it may be late in the day. Moreover, the call of a revolutionary government must come from the people and not from a single organization or an individual. It must be an overwhelming call, and there is no present perceptible people’s clamor for such,” Panelo said in a statement.

“While the President may have at one time in the campaign or in another of his speeches expressed a need for it, he was quick to qualify it as only if all others means constitutionally allowed to effect a radical change in the social, political and economic structure fail,” he added.

Duterte is already “effecting the necessary changes in our country and succeeding despite the opposite view of a boisterous minority,” according to Panelo.

The Chief Executive had dangled the idea of declaring a revolutionary government to address the country’s problems. In 2017, the President threatened to establish a revolutionary government and to declare all state posts vacant if the Philippines plunges into “chaos” because of attempts to destabilize the government. He later clarified that he would make such a declaration if “things go out of control” and if the administration is at risk of being overthrown violently.

Last year, Duterte raised the possibility of declaring a “revolutionary war” after opposition Sen. Franklin Drilon appealed to the administration to be careful in reviewing government contracts. Malacañang had claimed that the remark was an “exasperated expression” against “a series of acts committed against the people.”

The shift to a federal type of government is one of the campaign promises of Duterte, who expressed belief that it would spur development in the countryside.

In June last year, Duterte admitted that his proposed shift to federalism may not gain support. He, however, has expressed hope that local officials would at least back amendments to the Constitution that would address the conflict in Mindanao.

‘Huge nonsense’

Vice President Leni Robredo yesterday slammed the call of Duterte’s supporters for a revolutionary government.

“Ang laking kalokohan niyan (That is such a huge nonsense),” Robredo said in her weekly program over radio station dzXL.

The Vice President warned that such an initiative from the administration’s supporters might only be seeking to throw away the Constitution.

“First of all, what do they mean when they call for a revolutionary government? They are asking to throw away our Constitution. That itself is illegal,” Robredo, a lawyer, said.

She also questioned the timing of the group’s call, saying it only adds to people’s suspicions on Duterte’s state of health.

“During this time, when there are rumors – although have been refuted – that the President is sick, and then you will talk about revolutionary government, it just added to people’s suspicions,” the Vice President said.

Aside from Gamboa, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana also confirmed receiving invitations to attend the meeting by the MRRD-NECC.

Lorenzana said he did not attend the meeting because “we do not support them.”

‘Against the Constitution’

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) yesterday also denounced calls for a revolutionary government, saying it is against the Constitution.

In a statement, IBP national president Domingo Egon Cayosa said they do not support calls for a revolutionary government because there is no legal ground at the moment to have a change of government.

“A revolutionary government is repugnant to constitutionalism. It should be discouraged and denounced, as we do now. There is no legal, factual, practical or moral basis for a revolutionary government under the present circumstances,” Cayosa said.

For Sen. Francis Pangilinan, the call for revolutionary government is nothing but a “distraction,” while Senate President Vicente Sotto described it as an “incorrectable blunder.” Sen Panilo Lacson said it should simply be ignored. – Alexis Romero, Helen Flores, Evelyn Macairan, Paolo Romero