MANILA, Philippines – Activists sought to expose the dangers of a revolutionary government, which President Rodrigo Duterte has been endorsing one moment and dismissing the next, as his supporters planned to mobilize on Thursday, November 30, to push for the cause.
Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) president Leody de Guzman said it was an injustice that pro-Duterte groups would commemorate Bonifacio Day by going against the ideals Andres Bonifacio fought and died for.
"He would be turning in his grave for such antics that would ultimately serve the interests of foreign monopolies, warlords, and political dynasties, and the lust for wealth and power of the pro-Duterte clique of the ruling elite," De Guzman said.
He added that clamor for charter change would dismantle the constitutional limits to foreign ownership in the interest of capitalism.
The Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan said the true agenda of "RevGov" is not to solve the major issues the country is facing.
'Modern martial law'
Kabataan Partylist, in a statement, labeled the revolutionary government as "modern martial law," where President Duterte, like dictator Ferdinand Marcos did, cracks down on his critics to retain political control.
Citing the rising number of extrajudicial killings linked to Duterte's war on drugs, and the deliberate disregard for human rights, the group said that a Duterte dictatorship could be worse than Ferdinand Marcos'.
"The use of 'revolutionary' government branding in order to support his own coup is a mockery of the revolution itself," Kabataan said. (READ: [OPINION] Revolutionary government, yes, Duterte-style, no)
What's in a revolutionary government?
In a revolutionary government, all branches of government – including the judiciary and the legislative – will be dissolved and the Constitution will no longer be in effect.
Since the leader can redo the government from top to bottom, it is highly unlikely that he would allow that institutions or mechanisms be set up for checks and balances.
Under a revolutionary government, a person or a group can express dissent through "counter-revolution," which might lead to a civil war. (LOOK BACK: When did the Philippines have a revolutionary government?)
Freedom, the activist groups said, will not come from President Duterte or any other elitist rulers. It can only come from the power of the people, led by the working class, in their unity and struggle. – with reports from Sofia Tomacruz/Rappler.com