SWS: More Pinoys reject 'revolutionary government'

MANILA, Philippines — More Filipinos oppose the possibility of President Rodrigo Duterte declaring a revolutionary government, a Social Weather Station survey found.

Several times in his public remarks, Duterte has threatened to declare a revolutionary government — a form of self-coup disabling the current government system and Constitution — to quell a supposed conspiracy by his critics to destabilize his administration.

EXPLAINER: Can Duterte declare a revolutionary government?

But Duterte, in an apparent move to douse fears incited by his threat to revamp the government through extraconstitutional means, later called on the military to ignore talks about a revolutionary government.

According to SWS’s fourth quarter survey conducted on December 8 to 16, 39 percent of 1,200 Filipino adults polled said they disagree with the establishment of a revolutionary government.

Meanwhile, 31 percent agree while the remaining 30 percent were undecided.

Based on the findings, SWS said opposition to a revolutionary government was “stronger” among those who are dissatisfied with, or have little trust in Duterte.

Nonetheless, Duterte’s previous plan to create a revolutionary government got support from his home region of Mindanao with a net agreement score of +16.

That was followed by Metro Manila (net -7), Balance Luzon (net -16) and Visayas (net -17).

“Net agreement scores are at single-digit across locale, class, and sex, ranging from net -9 to +4,” the pollster also found.

Duterte earlier slammed those who supposedly took his remarks about founding a revolutionary government “out of context,” saying they just wanted to “draw publicity.”

Majority: Duterte has plans to revamp gov’t

According to the same SWS poll, 63 percent of respondents, most of whom were from Mindanao, believe that Duterte has plans to change the present government to a new one that he likes.

Awareness of Duterte's plan to overhaul the government was higher among those with more years of formal schooling, SWS also found.

The survey likewise revealed that almost half of respondents (48 percent) think it is possible to have a revolutionary government under the present Philippine Constitution, while 27 percent said otherwise.

On the other hand, stronger opposition to a revolutionary government was seen among those unaware of Duterte’s plan and those who said such a declaration is not possible under the present Constitution.

READ: Supporters, counterprotesters cross paths as Duterte toys with revolutionary gov't