Palace: Duterte not inclined to push for revolutionary government

MALACANANG on Wednesday clarified that President Rodrigo Duterte has no plans to push for a revolutionary government under his six-year term.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said that the President merely wanted raise awareness about the possible advantages the country could enjoy if a revolutionary form of state is established.

Abella said Duterte was simply saying that revolutionary government is one way to "resolve hindrances to progress."

"The President's remarks on a revolutionary government is an approach to resolving the country's endemic and structural problems hindering genuine progress," Abella said in a statement.

"However, [Duterte] made it clear that he will not establish a revolutionary government under his administration," he added.

On Tuesday, Duterte shared his view on the possible shifting of the current unitary type of government to a revolutionary one.

Duterte indicated that revolutionary government, not martial rule, will bring genuine change to the country.

"My advice to a President who wants to change [is] do not go for martial law. That will just be an issue. Go for a revolutionary government so everything will be all right," he said during the mass oath-taking of his new appointees.

The President noted that the late president Corazon Aquino installed a revolutionary state in 1986 that ended the martial law of the late despot Ferdinand Marcos.

Duterte said he was "not joking" about the benefits of revolutionary government but stressed that he was "not into it."

"I was not joking but I am not into it. For the Philippines really go up, what the people need is not martial law. Go for Cory's revolutionary government. But don't look at me, I won't do that," the Chief Executive said.

"If Cory can do it, then why can't you also do it? Why? Is there a monopoly here for our love for our country?" he added. (SunStar Philippines)