‘Real revolution is waged by the people, not by trapos’

The idea of establishing a so-called “revolutionary government” with President Duterte at the helm is as ridiculous as the name of the group calling for it—the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-National Executive Coordinating Committee (MRRD-NECC). Worse, its members seem to misunderstand the meaning of the word “revolutionary,” but they use it anyway.

When applied to politics, the term “revolutionary” usually means someone who supports or something that pertains to revolution, which Merriam-Webster defines as: “(a) sudden, radical, or complete change; (b) a fundamental change in political organization; (c) activity or movement designed to effect fundamental changes in the socioeconomic situation.” Now let’s check if the Rev-Gov, as proposed by the supporters of Mr. Duterte, fits any of these definitions.

(a) The only way for a head of state to bring about “sudden, radical, or complete change” while in power is if he would do either (b) or (c). When an incumbent president annuls the Constitution and assumes dictatorial powers, it is not a revolution but a self-coup.

(b) What the MRRD-NECC is pushing for is a shift to a federal form of government that would remove term limits and perpetuate Mr. Duterte and his allies in power. They do not intend to overthrow the government, or would dare to change the rotten political system in the country that has long been dominated by dynasties to which they belong.

(c) We can’t expect Mr. Duterte to make decisions that would run counter to the economic interests of the local elite—except his foes—and his imperialist masters. As a lapdog and dictator, he would never freely distribute land to the tillers and pursue national industrialization. On the contrary, he would further open up the country to imperialist countries like China.

A real revolution is waged by the people, and not by some traditional politicians and bureaucrats who are so desperate to remain in office they pretend to be revolutionaries when, in fact, they are reactionaries.

Daniel Aloc
Bacoor, Cavite
[email protected]