DILG Assec lays out blueprint for a dictatorship
Analysis by Raïssa Robles
Supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte are poised to stage their own version of “people power” today, but theirs has a twist. Instead of pressuring the sitting president Rodrigo Duterte to step down from office, they will urge him to scrap the present Constitution and bow to the people’s will to form a revolutionary government.
Interior and Local Governments Assistant Secretary Epimcao Densing III earlier posted a YouTube video that lays out a scenario where a democratically elected leader like Duterte could acquire dictatorial powers straight from the people, ostensibly to curb corruption and swiftly carry out reforms.
Before writing this analysis, I wanted to clarify with Densing what he said in his YouTube video. But he said I could not quote our phone conversation. He said I should interview him in person because he does not know me.
However, he said I could quote what he said in his YouTube video. He also stressed that everything he said in the video and told me on the phone was his own opinion, in his personal capacity and not as a DILG official.
As a DILG official, his main task starting May this year has been to push for federalism. I don’t exactly know how the DILG can justify such an expense when federalism is not something that is currently in place in our Constitution and was not indicated as a budgetary expense for the DILG.
In the video, Densing justified the formation of a revolutionary government as the fastest way to federalism. He indicated that Congress was next to useless in changing the charter in order to switch to a federal form of government because it’s in the interest of the politicians to make sure people remain poor.
To Densing the only solution was for Duterte to declare a revolutionary government. Once proclaimed, he said, “our Constitution will be suspended” and will no longer be operational.
Then, he said, “our President will acquire powers as a revolutionary [leader]. He will run the executive. He will also make the laws.”
“Siya ang magpapatupad ng batas. Siya ang gagawa ng batas,” (He will implement the laws. He will also make the laws.)
“Binibigyan natin ang ating pangulo na maging executive and legislative at the same time,” he said.
I pointed out to Densing that he was describing the powers of a dictator just like what Ferdinand Marcos had. But I am not at liberty to disclose Densing’s reply to me.
In his YouTube video, Densing said that once Duterte accepts the people’s will to be their revolutionary leader, then Duterte will issue a proclamation where he will enumerate what would happen next.
For instance, Densing said, “declaration of vacancy of all government positions mula sa vice president mawawala ho yan. Barangay mawawala ho yan.”
“Pagdiniklara, magkakaroon ng bakante ang posisyon sa lahat,” Densing said.
To me, the implication of this is that everyone except President Duterte will be deemed fired from their government posts – from the Vice President, to Congress to the lowly barangay or village captains.
However, Densing claimed in his YouTube video that the revolutionary government will merely be temporary. Meaning, until a new Constitution shepherded by the Duterte revolutionary government is in place.
Densing also assured that the intentions behind a revgov were pure: “We just want to speed up (reforms) so we can enjoy the benefits.”
He added: “Me, as a citizen, it’s important to give Duterte revolutionary powers. I am totally trusting he will use these powers correctly. Matanda na po si Presidente Duterte. Hindi niya ito gagamitin para magkaroon ng negatibong epekto sa bayan. Malinaw na malinaw ginagawa niya ito para sa pagmamahal sa bayan.”
Duterte supporters’ version of “People Power”
You can watch Densing’s video at the end of this piece.
Duterte’s chief propagandist Mocha Uson asked Duterte Wednesday for his opinion on the people’s alleged clamor for him to form a revgov.
Duterte, without batting an eyelash, replied: “Only when tataob na ang bayan [when the nation collapses]. The predicate was, kung tataob na ang bayan.”
Duterte added: “If the ship of state is about to capsize, then that would be the time. Maybe. I would have to declare. Other than that wala akong nakitang rason. Bakit ako magrerevolutionary government?”
Then Mocha Uson added: “But you will not stop the people from their expression.”
Duterte replied no, he would not, because it is the call of the 15 million (later corrected to 16 million) “who voted for me”.
He counter-proposed that a new Constitution should be drafted that would put in place “a strong government” with many corrections such as accountability.
Duterte then said, “Huwag tayong matakot na magka – hindi ako mag-diktador. Ilagay niyo diyan na ako president. Pag ilusot ang Konstitutsyon na yan I will cease to be a president.” [Let us not fear that I will turn into a dictator. Put there in the new Constitution that I will be the president. And when you pass the Constitution, I will cease to be a president.”]
Or else, he also said, make the post ceremonial. “At the end of the year will also mean the end. I would have reached the end of my term.”
Pagdating sa RevGov iba iba ang opinion ng mga supporters ni PRRD. Kaya atin itong tinanong sa kanya ng personal. Atin din pong tinanong kung anong masasabi niya sa Nov 30 na pagtitipon para sa RevGov. Pls share po para alam po ng lahat ang pinapahiwatig ng ating Pangulo.
Posted by MOCHA USON BLOG on Tuesday, November 28, 2017
What do all these rapidly unfolding events mean?
My reading is that first, they are pretty serious about wanting to declare a revolutionary government. But everyone is careful to add that it will be just like the revgov of the late democracy icon, President Corazon Aquino, not like the revgov of the ousted dictator Marcos.
Second, they seem to have hit on a time frame – by the end of this year there must be a revgov in place.
Third, they – including Duterte – are all assuring that Duterte can be trusted with revgov or dictatorial powers. That he will not abuse them but will wield them only for the common good.
Fourth, haven’t we seen this scenario before – where the people clamored for Duterte to do something like run for president. He hemmed and he hawed, but finally gave in to the people’s will.
Fifth, I am especially wary of the following statements Duterte made: “Put there in the new Constitution that I will be the president. And when you pass the Constitution, I will cease to be a president.”
Perhaps, the new Duterte Constitution will use another term in place of the word “president” like “Supremo”. Then he will be right in saying he would cease to be president even if he inherits the new title.
And sixth, in Densing’s formula, a revolutionary government is necessary in order to pave the way for drafting a “federal” type of government. He refused to call what he was proposing a “dictatorship” but that is exactly what it is – a one-man rule.
Our nation has experienced such a scenario before. After Marcos declared Martial Law, he illegally assumed revolutionary powers and ordered the ongoing Constitutional Convention to incorporate his proposed constitutional amendments, or else.
The 1973 Constitution put in place a parliamentary form of government. But the dictator Marcos never fully implemented it. Instead, he set up a dictatorship which he called “constitutional authoritarianism” – which is now being advocated for Duterte by his presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo.
Another bitter lesson of our history is this: In order to get his new Constitution approved, Marcos dangled to members of the pre-Martial Law bicameral Congress and the delegates of the 1971-’72 Constitutional Convention the promise that they would all be the first members of the one-chamber National Assembly.
Marcos fooled them all. He never convened the National Assembly. Instead, using his legislative powers, Marcos issued a decree creating the “Interim Batasang Pambansa” or IBP years later. Since it wasn’t called the National Assembly, he did not have to fulfill his promise.
The point is, once Duterte declares a revolutionary government anything goes.
Personally, I tend to distrust a politician who keeps saying – trust me. It reminds me of the wolf assuring Red Riding Hood.
Kamison says
Rest In Peace
duquemarino says
How true is it that Asec Epimaco Densing is being replaced by Asec Jonathan Malaya as DILG’s overseer of federalism?
Was it due to the botched RevGov advocacy and some quarters are mulling to file charges against Densing for inciting to sedition?
sam says
Alvarez threatens to bring to ethics, rules panel solons opposing Sereno hearings
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http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/635634/alvarez-threatens-to-bring-to-ethics-rules-panel-solons-opposing-sereno-hearings/story/?top_picks&order=3
Ano ito? RevoGovt na ba? Na other congressman can not be speak of their minds and follow only? ay … this is bad..
vandr says
remember, alvarez is a pgma man.
sukdulan ang ngitngit ng neck-bracer…
sam says
“How come the flagship project of the President is concentrated on going after the small-time peddlers, why not the big-time drug lords?” Carpio said.
Calida, in defending the government’s campaign, explained that most of drug bigwigs were Chinese nationals and were not under the jurisdiction of the Philippine legal system.
http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/05/17/carpio-on-drug-war-why-is-pnp-ignoring-drug-lords
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what kind of an answer is this by SolGen Calida? Assuming this is true, for sure they do have contacts in the country .. are these contacts not under the jurisdiction of the Philippine legal system? Or perhaps these big time drug lords is so untouchable?
arc says
if chinese nationals live o reside in our country and do crime here, they’re answerable to our laws and regulations. remember american marine pemberton who killed a pinoy transgender? kinasuhan si pemberton at kulong sa crame. same thing should happen to chinese nationals, they do the crime here, they should serve the time here. si mary jane veloso nga, one time pinoy drug mule caught in indonesia, was jailed in indonesia and is serving time there. si singson din, caught with drugs in his underwear sa hongkong airport, nakasuhan at nakulong din siya sa hong kong, kahit na politician siya.
if you’re in a country, you’re liable to that country’s laws.
maliban na lang kung yong chinese nationals ay mga ambassadors, may diplomatic immunity sila at hindi pwedeng kasuhan o ikulong, pero pwedeng ma-deport. at saka uli, kung sobrang laki and lagay ng mga chinese nationals na yan, aba, lusot sila, he, he, he, gaya po ni peter lim, a chinese drug lord na hindi lang nakalusot ng hatol, e inalok pa ni digong ng trabaho!
sam says
Calida should be investigated with what he knows about those he said Chinese nationals that are untouchable.
I do not agree 100% with Calida, I think we can make any action directly or thru democratic way (Government to Government arrangement).
Isa lang yan .. KUNG GUSTO .. MAY PARAAN at kung MAY KAPIT ay walang paraan hehehe
arc says
please lang po, let us not forget other drug lords gaya ni polong na hindi pwedeng galawin o imbestigahan, baka kasi mag-huramentado ang ama! he, he, he. at yong mga sangkot sa tone-toneladang shabu shipment ay lusot din, walang nanagot.
arc says
psst! the biggest fish yata na may isdang tattoo sa katawan ay drug coddler at ayaw pumirma ng bank waiver.
vandr says
un ang lumalabas!
leona says
Tama kayo ARC at SAM.
Baka naman hindi alam ni
SolGen yun na may ‘jurisdiction’
sa mga Chinese ‘o foreigners
residing or found in the ‘Pinas.
‘O alam talaga ni SolGen…kaya
lang medyo AYAW sagutin si
J. Carpio (SC) ng tamang sagot.
Si ARC ang SUMAGOT!
Drama na lang siguro itong mga
harapan nila!
he he he
sam says
PNP back in Duterte’s war on drugs
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Ayan its hunting season again for PNP ..
look at the headline of gmanetwork.com/news
Bato is so happy showing off Big Guns .. hindi ko alam ano caliber yan what i know machine gun yan ..
blood will again pour in the street ..
leona says
Balik-balik ang mga policies!
Sulong at Urung
Malipong ulo kaya?
Hunting ‘d foxes again for
illegal drugs. EJK tuloy na
naman?
he he
sam says
@leona ..
sabi nga ni Elmer (sa bugs bunny) its wabbit season … cheers!
kaya si bato .. Bring out the BIG Guns!
arc says
the bigger the guns, the bigger the tears! torrential po at umaagos. nice to know mr iyakin will retire soon, but then, baka ma-extend pa ang term niya dahil no one can cry better than him, he, he, he.
leona says
Tama SAM.
‘RABBIT’ hindi ‘foxes.’
I rem’ber the Pope said
something like this: ‘Don’t breed
like rabbits.’
So, ‘Back to hunting
rabbits’ and PNP.
he he
arc says
yay! balik na naman ang kapolisan sa drug war, sabi they”ll go after big fishes this time. should not be too hard to do, big fishes are easier to identify dahil they already got fish tattoos on their bodies! even showed them tattoos publicly to the media, so daring. posted them in facebook too. so brazen.
so, go, mamang polis, go and catch them big fishes. in case your gps is faulty, your sense of direction is twisted, just google dabaw, he, he, he. the clan is in shoal there.
sam says
P200M bribe? Lacson laughs off Gadon claim as another ‘hearsay’
“Huwag kayo maniwala masyado kay Attorney Gadon,” Lacson told reporters when asked to comment on the claim of Gadon, the lawyer who filed an impeachment complaint against the chief magistrate.
“Puro hearsay ang kanya, lalong hearsay pa ito. ‘Yan nga testify niya sa House, puro hearsay. Ito, chismis. Lalong hearsay, baka triple hearsay ‘yan,” Lacson said.
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http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/635343/p200m-bribe-lacson-laughs-off-gadon-claim-as-another-hearsay/story/?top_picks&order=2
Na tawa ako sa comment ni Sen Ping Lacson. Sana .. sana lang naman if this is the case, pag umabot sa Senate yon impeachment .. ibasura na nila agad .. kasi nga hearsay nga diba?
arc says
it appears the truth is no longer with gadon, kahit ano-ano na ang pinagsasabi. ang hina kasi ng kaso niya vs sereno. dapat ibasura na yan.
nangimbento ng bribery, sa hiya yata, gotta save his face dahil ang star witness sana niyang si de castro ay hindi star witness material. I wont elaborate dahil we all saw how de castro went.
pero, if bribery was attempted on gordon et al, it would not serve gadon to blab about it. shooting his own foot is not good move, hindi polis si gadon na may shoot to kill order, he, he, he, with himself as casualty. na bad shoot ang may lapse of judgement na ito.
ibasura na yang impeachment ni sereno, walang substance yang impeachment. for sure, iiyak ang mga bigwigs na pinangakuhan ni gadon, umasa pa naman sila, but they’ll get over it. their pockets maybe lighter now dahil gadon got his cut, he, he, he.
leona says
‘ibasura na yang impeachment ni sereno, walang substance yang impeachment.’ – arc.
Sigue, pa tutsada sa LH sa
impeachment investigation
vs. CJ Sereno.
Kasali na some SC officials:
Justice De Castro, Atty. Marquez
Ct. Administrator, atpba sa
susunod. Ano ang mga ebidensiya?
Hearsay ang iba. Televised weekly
for days.
Mayroon ba mabigat na kasalanan
nagawa si CJ Sereneo?
Kung mayroon man, ang tanong
‘culpable’ ba na dapat ma
impeached siya? Ano ang
ibig sabihin ng CULPABLE sa
Saligang Batas?
Kung minor acts lang but not
lawful under certain SC rules,
or against certain statutes/laws,
‘culpable’ kaya rin?
Ano ang CULPABLE?
Sa Dictionary Webster New
World Dictionary, sabi:
‘crime, fault, blame,
deserving blame; blameworthy.’
Sa Saligang Batas, sabi:
‘ Section 2. The President, the Vice-President, the Members of the Supreme Court, the Members of the Constitutional Commissions, and the Ombudsman may be removed from
office on impeachment for, and conviction of, culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, or betrayal of public trust.’
[ART. XI 1987 Consti]
‘culpable violation of the Constitution’ – what crime?,
what fault?, what blame?, what deserving blame?,
what blameworthy? – in violation of the Constitution?
‘Betrayal of public trust’? Mayroon ‘o wala?
‘Other high crimes’? Baka wala nga.
‘Corruption’? Mayroon ba?
Mayroon ba Atty. Gadon? Committee of
LH of Congress?
Ano ang tingin mo? Sa SENADO siempre
mag i-iba ang tingin sa LH ng Congress.
I will wash my eyes and face so I can
see better for this. HILAMOS muna.
Then shake and twist a little
to read what it’s all about.
Tandaan: Chief Justice ng
Highest Court ang pinag
uusapan.
leona says
It is now clearly apparent
that the LH of Congress vs
CJ Sereno is ‘adding,’
‘gathering,’ ‘supplying’ and
unofficially ‘amending’ the COMPLAINT
of impeachment vs the CJ.
I do not know if this ‘PROCESS’
is the correct tone under the
Constitution on IMPEACHMENT.
It is not enough and acceptable
to say: ‘We are looking for the
truth.’ Bakit, wala ba sa detalye
sa COMPLAINT ni Atty. Gadon?
Impeachable officials are now
to become subject of FISHING
for evidence in this PROCESS
being done.
Delikado na! And it is apparent
it appears there is a ‘division’
vs the CJ among certain members.
Can the CJ ask the SC en banc
to seek help on this PROCESS
by the LH of Congress? Malabo
ang help?
What’s really happening in our
midst under this situation?
ANYTHING GOES! No revogov yet.
waaaah!
arc says
ako duda kay midas marquez, parang may ulterior motive siya, dating tauhan pa naman yan ni ex cj renato corona. in my humble opinion po, si marquez seems to be avenging the untimely demise of corona, his confidant and close friend yata. kaya diniin si sereno. two years pala in the works, planning and gathering dirt on sereno. pati pa naman yong trabaho ng clerk re widows pension was attributed to sereno, for her to process.
si midas kay tagal tagal na sa supreme court, longer then sereno, and for him not to know who handles what, is abomination to me. next, midas will accusing sereno of not buying the toilet papers! he, he, he.
Sup says
Midas was in the Gadon birthday party
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/inside-track/190607-midas-marquez-larry-gadon-birthday
arc says
not friend and not enemy kuno sina gadon at marquez, but the smiles said it all! mukhang collegiate e. sinadya ang meeting. and all the places in the bar to sit, si midas ay dumikit kay gadon. birds of a feather really do flock together, he, he, he, twittering and maybe planning to do away with someone, a celebratory drink over a birthday cake sealed the deal.
many things are done on birthdays.
arc says
the pic showed that gadon and midas did meet. dati, not friend and not enemy sila but after the meeting, ally na sila. when gadon filed impeachment vs sereno, tumistego si midas. that is what allies with vested interest do, furthering their own agenda.
leona says
TAMA ka arc.
What’s Atty. Midas Marquez
point in testifying before the
LH of Congress?
He’s not one of the justices
anyway? Does he have an AXE
to grind against the CJ?
Is that AXE culpable?
Summa total: there’s really a
actual move in the SC to remove
the CJ by those who didn’t like
Maria Sereno’s appointment as
CJ. Na inggit ang marami doon.
Why this JBC entity was created,
creates palakasan indeed. Even
incumbent justices loves to apply
as candidate for CJ. Dapat bawal
yan.
SEC. 8 No. (5) ARTICLE VIII says:
“The Council shall have the principal
function of recommending appointees
to the Judiciary x x x”
Why keep recommending incumbent
candidates especially for CJ post when
such recommendee(s) are ALREADY
in the Judiciary? So, also others
already recommendee(s) from lower
posts to higher posts?
I find the intent of JBC contrary to
the provision. It instead creates
selfish ambitions to distract the work of
those already in the Judiciary.
he he
vandr says
don’t you think the golden hand won’t have any inkling to get back to the cj as his beloved boss was dishonorably shoved out of his seat.
a dog is always a dog.