MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday praised President Rodrigo Duterte and his office for making it clear to the public that the administration had no intention to establish a revolutionary government.
“Ito po, masaya naman tayo na nagsalita na ang ating Pangulo [We are happy that the President has already talked],” said Robredo when she was asked by reporters to comment on the issue, while attending an event at San Jose West Elementary School in San Jose, Nueva Ecija.
Last Monday, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that while the Palace “appreciate(s) the calls of the President’s supporters for a revolutionary government…I think there’s no factual or legal basis as of now.”
“Now, I stress, we don’t see any threat, any such threat in the near future. The President enjoys 80 percent approval rating; he was duly elected; he had a margin of five million votes from the second highest candidate,” added Roque.
Robredo on Tuesday said fear of a looming dictatorship ensued after reports about the possibility of the administration declaring a revolutionary government despite many experts saying that there was no basis to do so. But she said the fear was allayed when Duterte denied that he would set up such government.
“Marami pong experts ang nagsasabing walang basehan, pero tingin ko po pinakamahalaga doon iyong statement ng Pangulo na hindi naman totoo na magde-declare siya,” she said.
“Alam n’yo po kasi kapag mayroong mga ganitong haka-haka, parang nagke-create siya ng kalituhan, parang nagke-create siya ng unnecessary na takot. Kaya mas mabuti na po na galing na mismo sa Pangulo na walang basehan iyong pagdeklara ng revolutionary government,” the Vice President added.
[You know, speculations like these create confusion and unnecessary fear. Thus, it is better that the statement that there’s no basis to declare a revolutionary government comes from the President himself.]
Last week, during his visit to wounded soldiers at the Army General Hospital in Taguig City, Duterte told soldiers not to believe in talks about revolutionary coup d’état because the country won’t get anything from it.
“Huwag kayong maniwala ’yang mga coup d’état, mga revolutionary coup d’état. Wala tayong makukuha diyan.”
“Ang sabi nilang revolutionary government, coup d’état, ’wag ninyong intindihin ‘yan, malayo ‘yan [They talk about revolutionary government, coup d’état, do not mind them. It’s far-fetched],” Duterte said.
“Me? I build a nation. If the Armed Forces cooperates with me, if this is something there is good in it, fine. We can work together,” he added.
