Vice President Leni Robredo said the proposal for a revolutionary government by President Rodrigo Duterte’s supporters was “illegal” as it calls to “overthrow” the Constitution, as he urges the chief executive to strike down such unconstitutional acts.
On Saturday, a group who called themselves the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte National Executive Coordinating Committee (MRRD-NECC) launched a movement to declare a revolutionary government and shift to federalism.
Robredo stressed that focus must not be taken away from the COVID-19 pandemic as it continues to damage the health and economy of the country.
“Bakit hinahayaan iyong mga ganitong exercise na mangyari, na mangyari at a time like this? Iyong sa akin lang, parang ang gusto mo ma-overthrow iyong Konstitusyon, na iyon iyong sandigan nating lahat,” she said in her weekly radio program.
[Why do they let these kind of exercises happen at a time like this? It’s like they are letting them overthrow the Constitution.]
“Sana iyong mga kasama ni Pangulo, hindi hinahayaan na bumuwelo ang mga ganito. Kasi ito talaga iyong panira, sa lahat na ginagawa natin, lalo na ngayong pandemic. Iyong lahat na efforts natin, dapat nasa COVID-19, pero ang pinag-uusapan natin Anti-Terror Bill, pagpasara ng ABS[-CBN], ‘di ba, pag-amend ng Constitution, pagdeklara ng RevGov, federalism.”
[I hope the President’s advisers won’t let this gain traction because this will ruin our efforts against the pandemic. Our focus should be on the virus but we’re talking about the Anti-Terror Law, ABS-CBN’s closure, Constitutional amendment, declaration of RevGov, federalism.]
On the other hand, Malacañang said the group was “free to publicly express their opinion” as they also stressed the importance on focusing on the health crisis rather than such issues.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the administration is hands-on in trying to improve the situation brought about by the pandemic.
“The most pressing and most urgent concern, which requires the Executive’s full attention, is the gradual opening of the economy while safeguarding the people who are working/going back to work amid the pandemic,” he said in a statement.
