President Rodrigo Duterte鈥檚 plan to declare a revolutionary government (RevGov) if his opponents try to topple him from power cannot stand legal scrutiny, the leader of the country鈥檚 60,000 lawyers said on Monday.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no basis for the declaration of a revolutionary government. The institutions continue to be working, although there might be some attempts to downgrade their capabilities,鈥 said Abdiel Dan Elijah Fajardo, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).
The country鈥檚 lawyers began to close ranks on Monday in the face of Mr. Duterte鈥檚 increasingly strident talk of strongman rule as lawmakers slammed the President for continuing to suppress opposition to his policies.
In a talk with reporters on Saturday, Mr. Duterte threatened again to declare a revolutionary government if opposition to his policies went out of control and chaos ruled the streets.
But Fajardo said it might be premature for the IBP or anyone to seek Supreme Court intervention in questioning Mr. Duterte鈥檚 warning of a revolutionary government.
As it was made verbally, he said, Mr. Duterte鈥檚 threat may not be a justiceable question that could be discussed by the Supreme Court.
Threat to democracy
But for Neri Colmenares of the National Union of Peoples鈥 Lawyers, Mr. Duterte may now be considered a 鈥渢hreat鈥 to democracy in the Philippines.
鈥淲ith what he ha[s] been doing, he鈥檚 a threat [to democracy],鈥 Colmenares said.
Human Rights Commissioner Roberto Cadiz challenged the IBP to 鈥渟tand behind the truth and not behind power鈥 in defending human rights and the rule of law.
Cadiz urged the members of the IBP to take an active role in educating the public on the concepts of justice and human rights.
鈥淪trange as it seems, the sitting President is talking [about] establishing a revolutionary government. Justice, human rights and the rule of law are being mocked by a lawyer aided by and abetted by fellow lawyers,鈥 Cadiz told a news briefing on Monday.
Mr. Duterte is a lawyer. He served as prosecutor in his hometown, Davao City, before being elected mayor there.
鈥淭he challenge [for us lawyers] is to realize the relevance of our profession at this point in history and also to be intelligent in parrying the narrative of the present administration,鈥 he said.
Human rights summit
Fajardo said the IBP would hold a national human rights summit this week to find ways of assisting the families and victims of summary killings and other human rights violations.
He said the gathering would also help deal with the legal issues pertaining to Mr. Duterte鈥檚 bloody war on drugs.
Lawmakers blasted Mr. Duterte鈥檚 plan as an excuse to impose authoritarian rule on the country.
In a statement, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said Mr. Duterte鈥檚 threat to set up a revolutionary government because of destabilization attempts would have 鈥渘either constitutional nor historical ancestry.鈥
He said it would be a 鈥渇eeble excuse鈥 for authoritarian rule and a 鈥渂latant betrayal鈥 of the Constitution.
Lagman pointed out that revolutionary governments emerge after successful uprisings, such as the people power revolt that toppled dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986.
He said the Duterte administration could not 鈥渟tage a coup d鈥櫭﹖at against itself.鈥
鈥楽top emulating Marcos鈥
In a separate statement, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate called on Mr. Duterte 鈥渢o stop emulating the disgraced dictator Marcos.鈥
Sen. Francis Pangilinan said Mr. Duterte鈥檚 planned revolutionary government was no different from a dictatorship.
But Sen. Panfilo Lacson said he did not think Mr. Duterte was serious about his threat to declare a revolutionary government.
In any case, he said, the country could have a revolutionary government 鈥渙nly after a revolution,鈥 like the government that President Corazon Aquino set up after the fall of Marcos in February 1986.
Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, who was in the Senate on Monday, tried to ease fears about Mr. Duterte鈥檚 threat.
鈥淭ake him seriously always on his objective but do not take literally his solution,鈥 Cayetano said.
Analysts were dismayed at Mr. Duterte鈥檚 response to opposition to his policies.
Francisco Ashley Acedillo, president of the Institute of Policy, Strategy and Developmental Studies Inc., said the only way Mr. Duterte knew how to govern was to be an autocrat and a dictator.
Propaganda war
Political analyst Ramon Casiple attributed Mr. Duterte鈥檚 talk about a revolutionary government to a 鈥減ropaganda war.鈥
He said the talk about a revolutionary war became serious after information was filed against Mr. Duterte in the International Criminal Court over the thousands of deaths in his war on drugs.
Acedillo said Mr. Duterte鈥檚 threat should not be played down.
Given Mr. Duterte鈥檚 volatile character, he said, anything could trigger an action from him and the next thing the country knows, it is under a revolutionary government.