Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday expressed belief the group pushing for a revolutionary government merely wants to suck up to President Duterte.
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Gatchalian, in an interview over One NewsPH, said he too has doubts on the identity of the group pushing for a revolutionary government, saying it was obviously just trying to be close to the President.
“Again, babalik ako sa pangalan nila, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte National Executive Council. Ang initial reaction ko, tong grupo na ito ay gustong mapalapit sa ating Pangulo at gustong sumipsip sa ating Pangulo (My initial reaction is that this group wants to be close to the President and wants to suck up to the President),” Gatchalian said.
“For example, bakit hindi ginawang ‘For The Filipino people’ ang pangalan nitong grupo ito, bakit ang ating Pangulo? (Why didn’t they call the group ‘For the Filipino people? Why the President?” he asked.
Gatchalian said even the President has already spoken through his spokesman and legal adviser and thumbed down such calls for a revolutionary government.
The senator said he too disagrees with the proponents’ call saying such moves will divert attention from the government’s efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We all know that we’re in the midst of a very deep and prolonged crisis. In fact, we don’t even know when this is going to end. What we need right now are cooperation and unity,” Gatchalian said.
“This revolutionary government they are calling will divide the country. Once it takes effect, it will dissolve the institutions like the Senate and Congress and even the judiciary. We will lose the check and balance mechanism,” he said.
“What we need to do right now is to unite and work together to fight COVID-19,” he added.
Sen. Nancy Binay, on her Twitter account, also thumbed down calls for a revolutionary government.
“Hindi nakaka-flatten ng curve ang RevGov,” Binay said in a tweet.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros said such calls should not be taken seriously.
“This is yet another distraction from the real crisis we are facing today, which is the coronavirus pandemic,” Hontiveros also said on Twitter.
“The public needs good healthcare and jobs, and that requires good governance, not a so-called revolutionary government,” she said.