Call for revolutionary gov’t unconstitutional, incomprehensible, says Palace

September 2, 2020

Malacanang branded on Wednesday as unconstitutional and "incomprehensible" the call for a revolutionary government by supposedly supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte.

In an interview by CNN Philippines, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said move for revolutionary government does not fall within the framework of the Constitution.

"It's not constitutional...the President was elected to a fixed term office, he will finish that fixed term of office, and although people can talk about it, because they may have criticisms against the system, I joined the President in our belief that the Constitution should be upheld, because all public officers took an oath to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the land," he said.

Under the proposed revolutionary government being espoused by the  Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte - National Executive Coordinating Committee, Duterte will be installed as president until 2021 and there will be a new constitution with a federal form of government.

Roque admitted that he could not understand what Duterte's supposed supporters want.

"In fairness, I don’t know what they want. They claim to be supporters of the President so why would they want to unseat a constitutional president. So I find it strange, the whole exercise to me is incomprehensible," he said.

However, despite being unconstitutional and incomprehensible, Roque indicated that the government would not do anything against those pushing for revolutionary government.

Duterte, in a recent public message, even expressed openness to have the issue discussed in public.

Roque defended Duterte's latest stance on the matter although previously the President distanced himself from the group pushing for revolutionary government.

"Well, why not? Because the theory behind the marketplace of idea is the true test is a power of a though to be accepted in the free marketplace of idea; and we’re no strangers to revolutionary governments. Cory Aquino’s government was a revolutionary government and it was during her term of office that we came up with the ‘87 Constitution. So revolutionary government as the court has ruled, in the case of Cory Aquino’s government is unconstitutional but if the people ratify it then it becomes constitutional," he explained.

"All he said with his address to the nation is talk about it if you want, if the military wants to join the discussion, let them join the discussion. But he has made up his mind as far his personal conviction on it is concerned, he is not for it," he added.

Meanwhile, Roque said there was "wisdom" on the bill filed by Senator Panfilo Lacson to designate someone in case all the three constitutional successors fail to succeed the sitting president.

He noted that Lacson could have based his bill in a television series wherein all the supposed successors perished in a terrorist attack.

"We have a clear line of succession all the way down to the House Speaker but what happens in fact if similar to what happened in the TV series, everyone perishes. So perhaps there is a—there is definitely wisdom in the bill filed by Senator Lacson but he would now have to file a counterpart measure in the House," he said. Celerina Monte/DMS