MANILA, Philippines — At least four senators have slammed recent calls made by a group of Duterte supporters for the declaration of a "revolutionary government" amid the COVID-19 crisis.
"Hindi dapat seryosohin ang panawagan para sa revolutionary government. (Calls for a revolutionary government should not be taken seriously.) This is yet another distraction from the real crisis we are facing today, which is the coronavirus pandemic," Sen. Risa Hontiveros said on Monday.
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"The public needs good healthcare and jobs, and that requires good governance, not a so-called 'rev-gov,'" she added.
Meanwhile, Sen. Nancy Binay took to Twitter on Sunday to put the group's calls on blast.
Hindi nakaka flatten ng curve ang RevGov ???? #noTOREvGov #yestotheConstitution
— Senator Nancy Binay (@SenatorBinay) August 23, 2020
"Hindi nakaka flatten ng curve ang RevGov. (RevGov will not flatten the curve,)" she said.
Supporters of the chief executive on Saturday assembled at the Clark Freeport to call for a "revolutionary government" to be headed by the president himself until June 30, 2022. MRRD-NECC claimed to be made up of numerous civil society groups and non-government organizations supporting Duterte and urged Filipinos to join calls for the adoption of a new Constitution.
In response to this, Sen. Ping Lacson told radio DWIZ during an interview that establishing a revolutionary government under the administration was pointless and could be a way to circumvent the democratic process.
On Sunday, Sen. Kiko Pangilinan expressed similar concern for the issues a revolutionary government might raise for democracy in the country.
"While the moves of the individuals behind the revolutionary government should be taken with a grain of salt, we must remain vigilant to thwart it as such could be a thinly-veiled dictatorship that would concentrate power in the hands of the president — which freedom-loving Filipinos should resist."
"The nation is already grappling with hunger and joblessness as a result of the lockdown, PhilHealth mess, and lack of funds. The Filipinos will get nothing out of this distraction," he further said.
Pangilinan is chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, the panel that has jurisdiction over proposed measures to amend the 1987 Constitution.
Malacañang on Sunday distanced itself from the group's calls for a revolutionary government, saying that, while the group is free to express its opinions, the administration is focused on addressing the pandemic.
"The call to establish a revolutionary government came from a private group and the organizers are free to publicly express their opinion...The focus, however, of the administration is addressing COVID-19 and mitigating its socioeconomic impact," presidential spokesman Harry Roque said. — with a report from Franco Luna