Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo (File photo)
MANILA – Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo on Sunday brushed aside efforts of a pro-Duterte group to establish a revolutionary government, saying it will only matter if there is an “overwhelming call” from the public.
In a statement, Panelo said 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,” he said.
Panelo described it as an idea “pregnant with repercussion”, noting that the society might not even be “ready” for a revolutionary government.
“If it is a workable concept, it may be late in the day,” he said.
He recognized that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte himself threatened to impose a revolutionary type of government but noted that it was only due to alleged plots to oust him.
“While the President may have at one time in the campaign or in another in one 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 said.
With or without a revolutionary government, Panelo emphasized that Duterte is already carrying out “necessary changes” in the country.
“Presently PRRD is effecting the necessary changes in our country and succeeding despite the opposite view of a boisterous minority,” he said.
He, however, said calls for a revolutionary government could be subject for debate.
“For academic discussion, it is a titillating idea for discourse,” he added.
On Saturday, the People’s National Coalition for Revolutionary Government and Charter Change assembled at Clark Freeport in Pampanga pushing for the establishment of a revolutionary government and the adoption of a new federal constitution.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Archie Gamboa, confirmed that he received an invitation from the group.
The group also sent invitations to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief, Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay.
Lorenzana and the PNP have thumbed down calls for the establishment of a revolutionary government. (PNA)
