Lawyers’ groups: No merit to declare revolutionary gov’t

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 21) — There is no reason for the President to declare a revolutionary government, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) said on Monday.

IBP President Adiel Dan Fajardo said democratic institutions are still in place, despite attempts to downgrade them.

The IBP is the official organization of all Philippine lawyers whose names appear in the Roll of Attorneys of the Supreme Court.

This comes after President Rodrigo Duterte again mentioned the revolutionary government on Saturday, emphasizing his reasons for possibly declaring one.

“I said, if things go out of control at tumagilid ‘yung gobyerno, yun ang predicate ko,” Duterte said. “It was not an outright statement na mag-revo.. alam mo na. People judge best when they condemn,” he added.

[Translation: I said if things go out of control and the government topples, those will be my predicate. It was not an outright statement that I’ll declare a revo.. You know, people judge best when they condemn.]

National Union for People’s Lawyers (NUPL) chair Neri Colmenares said, there will be no more constitutional basis for the existence of all the three branches of government: executive, judiciary, and legislative.

READ: Duterte warns of revolutionary gov’t if destabilization plots escalate

Some senators are also unfazed by the President’s threats.

Senator Ping Lacson said a revolutionary government may only be established after a revolution, like what happened during the time of former President Corazon Aquino.

“Even the military and defense establishments already said their piece that they will not support a revolutionary government, so who will?” Lacson said.

Meanwhile, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, one of the President’s staunchest critics, said the threat is just a diversionary tactic from the present issues Duterte is facing.

“Hindi ko siya lulubayan dun sa P6.4 billion shabu shipment na finacilitate ng anak niya. Ganun din yung kanyang ill-gotten wealth na bilyun-bilyon, so yan yung mga gusto niyang takasan kaya siya nananakot nitong revolutionary government,” Trillanes said.

[Translation: I won’t stop bugging him on the P6.4 shabu shipment facilitated by his son, as well as the billions of ill-gotten wealth. He is threatening to declare a revolutionary government just so he can dodge the topic.

READ: Malacañang: No need for revolutionary government

CNN Philippines’ correspondents David Santos and Cecille Lardizabal contributed to this report.