ALLIES of President Rodrigo Duterte are skeptical on his threat to declare a revolutionary government once he senses that a destabilization plot will lead to the opposition replacing him as president.
Senator Panfilo Lacson said that by now, people should already be used to the President’s impulsive statements.
“I don’t believe he will declare a revolutionary government—not now, not anytime during his term,” said Lacson.
“He knows he won’t and can’t do it,” Lacson added.
Having said that, he said that there’s no point reacting negatively or otherwise to such and other similar pronouncements.
Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, on the other hand, said he does not subsribe to the idea of a revolutionary government.
“In fact, it could be used as a short cut to federalism if the country will agree,” Sotto said.
Nonetheless, he said the President could have information not available to us. “He probably feels the country’s stability could be in jeopardy that’s why he is thinking of ways to protect it just in case.”
“It’s merely an idea at this point and I have no reason to be wary about it,” he added.
Senator Sonny Angara hopes that it doesn’t come to that.
“We will all lose. Let’s call on all political forces to work for the nation. Extra constitutional methods to seize power or maintain power have not worked well for us in the past and would surely be damaging in the future,” he said.
The President told his critics that he will create a revolutionary government that will last until the end of his term ifhe thinks they’re “about to take over the nation,” and if they “have destabilized government” to the point that they will name a new leader.
“’Once your destabilization is already creating chaos, I will not hesitate to declare a revolutionary government until the end of my term, and I will arrest all of you, and we can go to a full-scale war against the Reds,” he said.
Duterte said he is not keen on declaring martial law because a revolutionary government is faster to form. With martial law, he will have to report before Congress.