Carpio says declaring revolutionary gov’t is ‘dumbest move’ Duterte can make. Here’s why

Declaring a revolutionary government will be the “dumbest move” that President Rodrigo Duterte can make, former Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said.

In his August 27 column for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Carpio said the military’s obedience to Duterte hinges on his designation as the commander in chief of the armed forces under the Constitution.

“If Mr. Duterte abrogates the Constitution to which all soldiers have sworn allegiance, then he ceases to be their commander in chief, and the military may then follow his constitutional successor, just like in Edsa Dos. Legally, Mr. Duterte will have no one to command in the military,” he said.

A group called Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-National Executive Coordinating Committee recently urged Duterte to lead a revolutionary government under a “revolutionary Constitution” until December 31, 2021.

The President, however, washed his hands off the move and said he does not know members of the group, even if they claim to be his supporters.

Carpio said Duterte will be committing “political hara kiri” should he declare a revolutionary government because such a move will automatically abrogate the Constitution.

The former Supreme Court magistrate said the imposition of a revolutionary government will be declared by the tribunal as unconstitutional, while Congress will oppose it since the House and Senate will become extinct under such a setup.

“[T]he Philippine economy, which shrank 16.5 percent in the second quarter of this year because of the pandemic, will drop to the bottom once a revolutionary government is imposed. Foreign and local investors will swiftly take their money out of the country. It will be the worst nightmare coming true for the economic managers of Mr. Duterte,” Carpio added.

The post Carpio says declaring revolutionary gov’t is ‘dumbest move’ Duterte can make. Here’s why first appeared on Latest Philippine politics news today.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)