Malacañang on Wednesday said it does not see any threat behind a group’s call for a revolutionary government since the President is not keen to support the move, but said it respects the planned investigation by the Philippine of the National Police of persons behind the initiative despite the absence of imminent threat from the group.
Philippine National Police Gen. Archie Gamboa, in fact, has already ordered the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to conduct a probe and closely monitor the proponents of the so-called “revolutionary government” movement.
“I have directed the CIDG to investigate the individuals behind it and to determine if there is any basis to file criminal charges leading to a possible arrest,” he said.
Palace spokesperson Harry Roque admitted that President Duterte knows about the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-National Executive Coordinating Committee, but does not support its initiative for a revolutionary government.
Asked whether the group would be investigated, Roque said that “it’s the discretion of the police authorities and the Palace respect any probe.”
“In fact, whether it is inciting sedition or not is really the realm of the police and prosecutors at the DOJ. But from what I’ve seen, there’s no clear and present danger,” Roque said.
“What is important is that the President has said he is not in support of revolutionary government because obviously he is for a constitutional government,”Roque said.
“I don’t see any clear and present danger if you simply advocate and in no position really to threaten the existence of the Republic. In the same way that the Left have said many, many things against the President, let it be because that’s still protected speech,” Roque, a lawyer, said.
Duterte had denied reports that he is behind the call by some of his supporters for the establishment of a revolutionary government.
The MRRD-NECC reportedly wants to fast-track the establishment of a federal system, which Duterte promised during the 2016 election campaign.
Roque said the government is focused on the Covid 19 response as he repeatedly said that the president does not support the establishment of a revolutionary government.
Roque also said that the President is looking forward to the end of his term.
Gamboa, meanwhile, has reiterated that the PNP leadership has nothing to do with the call for a revolutionary government.
“I was informed that letters were sent out to several government agencies inviting us to attend their supposed assembly. The information was then leaked to the media, making it appear that we were involved, or worse, that we consented to it,” he said in a press statement issued on Tuesday night.
Gamboa said political stunts, such as this, are ill-timed as the country is battling the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
On Monday, the Department of the Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said calls for a “RevGov” are only a distraction to the government’s Covid-19 containment efforts.
Malaya said a revolutionary form of government has never been considered as it is beyond the bounds of the Constitution.
“Given that we are battling a great crisis right now, this could be a distraction from what we are doing right now,” he said in a television interview.
On Sunday, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo brushed aside efforts to establish a revolutionary government, saying it would only matter if there is an “overwhelming call” from the public.
Panelo said the call for a revolutionary government “must come from the people and not from a single organization or an individual.” With PNA
