President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday took the establishment of a revolutionary government off his bucket list by disowning the “private group” pushing one under his leadership.

“I don’t give a damn about it,” the President said. “I don’t even know the people in it.”

The Chief Executive also lashed at the group which organized themselves into the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte — National Executive Coordinating Committee (MRRD-NECC) that is calling for a “revolutionary government,” saying forming it does not fall under his mandate.

“That’s not my job,” he reiterated.

“There are those coming out, saying they want one — a revolutionary government. Then they are saying that I’m the… (leader). I don’t care about that. I don’t know anyone there,” Duterte said.

The MRRD-NECC organized a small group at the Clark Freeport on Saturday to support a “revolutionary government” to be led by the President until the end of his term in 2022.

The group proceeded to the historic Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan to launch what they called as the People’s National Coalition for Revolutionary Government and Charter Change.

They considered the day as significant to its call as it fell on the celebration of the Cry of Pugadlawin which started the revolution against then colonial Spain in 1896.

Bobby Brillante, deputy national spokesperson of the MRRD-NECC, identified some of the leading participants in the open call for the establishment of a “revolutionary government” as MRRD-NECC chairperson Atty. Guiling “Gene” Mamondiong; Undersecretary Martin Diño; Mayor Rey San Pedro, Bulacan Gov. Willie Alvarado and Rep. Omar Albano Fajardo.

Mamondiong was appointed by Duterte as TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) Director General in 2016 before he ran and lost the Lanao del Sur gubernatorial post to Mamintal “Bombit” Adiong Jr. in May last year.

Diño is currently the Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs at the Department of the Interior and Local Government. He was the former barangay leader in Quezon City who served as “placeholder” for Duterte during the 2016 presidential elections. He withdrew his candidacy so that Duterte could take his place as official PDP (Partido Demokratiko Pilipino) presidential candidate.

Brillante is a politician who lost a bid to become a Makati councilor in May last year; San Pedro was a mayor of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan from 2010 to 2016; Alvarado is currently the Bulacan vice governor and he served as the provincial governor from 2010-2019; and Fajardo was appointed by Duterte as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Iraq in 2018.

Fajardo once faced a case of indiscriminate firing and grave threats after shooting at a provincial bus along EDSA in Makati City in 2013, according to a newspaper report from that year.

Despite these personalities known as administration allies, Malacañang reiterated that the call for a “revolutionary government” does not enjoy any support from the national government “right now” as presidential spokesperson Harry Roque reiterated.

He said the President’s focus is on the government’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“First and foremost, we would like to make it clear that the president is the leader of a constitutional government and we don’t need a revolutionary government right now. Anyway, those who are pushing for it are entitled to free speech, so let them be. What is important, it is very clear that that is a private initiative and that is not part of the priorities of the president right now,” Roque stated.

“It does not enjoy any support from the government right now, it is a private initiative. But the private individuals can express freely their views as part of freedom of speech,” he added.

Roque also said calls for a revolutionary government is moot and academic as far as the Chief Executive is concerned as he is very much ready to turn the reign of power to whoever will succeed him in 30 June 2022.

The President had threatened to establish a revolutionary government on 13 October 2017 to counter liberalism in the Philippines and what he claimed was an increase in crime and growth of the illegal drugs trade.

In April last year, Duterte made the same declaration of wanting to establish a “revolutionary government” and arrest his detractors if he is pushed against the wall.

“I have enough problems with criminality, drugs, rebellion and all, but if you push me to the extreme, I will declare the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus and I will arrest all of you,” he said then. (Daily Tribune)