THE next elections will be on May 15, 2022. It’s a Sunday. That would be about 19 months and 10 days from next month for the candidates or the re-electionists to prepare (if ever there would be election for the next president of this Republic), from top positions down to the bottom of local elective posts.
But there are now doubts about any election on May 15, 2022 after a group that brands itself as “People’s National Coalition for Revolutionary Government and Charter Change” called for a “revolutionary government” that is supposedly to be led by President Rodrigo Duterte until the end of his term in 2022. This group was convened by the “Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-National Executive Coordinating Committee” (MRRD-NECC), which was responsible for pushing the candidacy of Duterte in the 2016 presidential polls.
Some 300 people converged at the Clark Freeport on Saturday, Aug. 20, to support a “revolutionary government.” They timed their event on the same day (Aug. 20) that the Katipuneros tore up their cedula, which signaled the start of the 1896 revolution against the Spanish colonial government. There was no report that they ripped off their cedulas.
Our history is replete with revolutionary governments. To name a few, the Katipuneros in 1892 against the Spanish regime, the revolt against the American occupation, and not long ago was the bloodless “People Power Revolution” in February 1986, which toppled the martial law ruler, the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos. A revolutionary government was established and the late Cory Aquino was sworn in as the revolutionary president.
A handful of people, who branded themselves revolutionaries, want a total overhaul of our Constitution and transform our system of governance to federal while the three branches of our government—executive, legislative and judiciary—are still functioning in accordance to our Constitution. Their action amounts to inciting to sedition and they should be charged.
In this time of Covid-19 pandemic where everyone (except for those who may have benefited from it) is emotionally and financially stressed, the entry of this so-called “rev gov” group has added to the unimaginable distress. It’s not ill-timed. It’s done on purpose since they perhaps think that the majority would not mind as they are more concerned with how to contain this virus.
It may be recalled that three years ago, when the issue of revolutionary government popped up, on Nov. 21, 2017, the President denied that he had plans to establish a revolutionary government, saying that the country will not get anything out of it. But the president’s critics were cagey because he is wont to backflip on many issues.
It was unnecessary for the police and Armed Forces to issue a statement that they do not favor the revolutionary government because as guardians of peace and order in the country, it’s their job to ensure that everyone is safe and free. If they do join, it would mean an overthrow of this government through coup d’etat aided by civilians. No, we don’t want this to happen. Because if it does, Duterte would no longer be the president of this republic.