DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The administration’s impending move to junk the 1987 Constitution to pave the way for a federal form of government is a “political swindle” for a “fascist dictatorship”, said Communist Party of the Philippines founder Prof. Jose Maria Sison.
Sison said that President Rodrigo Duterte with the help of his allies in the Lower House and the Senate will railroad the junking of the 1987 Constitution to mask a “one-man rule” where “the powers of government are overconcentrated in the hands of Duterte on top of regional governments run by big compradors, landlords, corrupt bureaucrats and warlords like him.”
The president’s former professor also said that “Duterte and his cohorts are engaged in political swindling when they say that federalism is the cure to all the big problems of the Philippines.”
He maintained that whatever is the form of government, “the rottenness of the semicolonial and semifeudal ruling system under US imperialism and the local exploiting classes will persist.”
Sison also warned that the shift to federalism will intensify the plunder of human and natural resources of the country, “the new pseudo-federal constitution will get rid of the nationality requirements or restrictions on foreign investments in violation of economic sovereignty and national patrimony by simply inserting the phrase, “unless otherwise provided by law.”
Meanwhile, Jaime “Ka Diego” Padilla, spokesperson of the Melito Glor Command-New People’s Army, said that charter change for federalism is a maneuver for Duterte to extend his term.
“Nais ni Duterte na maghari lagpas sa kanyang termino kaya minamadali nito ang transisyon tungo sa pederal na gubyerno. Makakapanatili siya bilang pinakamataas na upisyal ng gubyerno habang nasa transisyong yugto ang pederal na sistema ng gubyerno (Duterte wants to rule beyond his term that is why he fast-tracts the transition to federal government. He will remain the head of state during the transition stage of government),” Padilla said in a statement sent to media on Friday.
Padilla added that during the transitional period, Duterte and his allies can do anything to further extend his term as the head of state.
“Sa panahong hindi pa umiiral ang bagong sistema, magagawa ni Duterte na maglabas ng kung anu-anong dekretong pabor sa kanyang paghahari, sa mga kroni niya at ng among imperyalista (As the new system, is yet to take effect, Duterte can issue whatever decree to favor his rein, his cronies and his imperialist master)” Padilla added.
The CPP in its 49th founding anniversary statement, vows to “overthrow” Duterte as it gears towards its 50th year in 2018.
“The Filipino people are suffering gravely under the Duterte regime’s fascist tyranny, all-out economic liberalization and bureaucratic corruption. The entire Party and all revolutionary forces must exert vigorous efforts to unite the Filipino people in a broad united front to resist and overthrow the fascist Duterte regime as they did the Marcos dictatorship and the Estrada regime,” said the CPP. (davaotoday.com)
