MALACAÑANG belied Wednesday the allegation of February 25 Coalition that the Duterte administration is resurrecting the tools of dictatorship.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said President Rodrigo Duterte's display of "strong political will" is not totally equivalent to reviving dictatorship, just like what the late President Ferdinand Marcos had done during his regime.
Abella said the President only wanted to resolve the issues in the country that put many Filipinos in an awful state.
"The President has displayed strong political will but this does not necessarily follow he would become a dictator," Abella said in a statement.
"The scenarios listed by the February 25 Coalition, such as the President’s references against some members of the clergy, the lowering of age of criminal liability, among others are not signs of a looming dictatorship but firm responses to the prevailing issues of the day," he added.
In a unity statement, the February 25 Coalition said there was a "clear and present danger" into the decisions made under the Duterte administration, including Marcos’ burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani and the possible resurrection of Marcos family in politics.
The group also noted indications that Duterte might eventually declare himself an autocrat.
"Clearly, the tools of dictatorship are being resurrected – from the open threat to suspend the privilege of writ of habeas corpus to the constant danger of having martial law declared, to the subversion of civilian and democratic rule to the gross violation of human rights," it said.
"Already, over 7,000 men, women, and children have lost their lives in killings patiently without regard for their fundamental rights as citizens. These events are akin to the brutalities under the Marcos dictatorship. We now face the resurgence of nothing less than authoritarian rule," the February 25 Coalition added.
The coalition then called on the government to respect the basic rights guaranteed by the Constitution, as well as to uphold the value of every individual's life. (SunStar Philippines)