Some pro-Duterte groups won’t join Nov. 30 assembly for revolutionary govt

November 26, 2017 - 10:13 PM
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duterte fist bump with troops
Reuters file photo of President Rodrigo Duterte

MANILA – The group that calls itself the Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte National Executive Coordinating Committee (MRRD-NECC) will not join the nationwide assembly called for Nov. 30, 2017 by pro-Duterte groups seeking to persuade him to declare a revolutionary government.

Martin Diño, MRRD-NECC secretary general, said their group believes that Duterte can ably steer the country through many challenges without having to declare a revolutionary government.

Despite criticisms coming the President’s way, Diño said their group continues to repose their solid trust in him.

Some supporters of Duterte had earlier called for people to join the gathering at the Luneta on Nov. 30.

According to former military officer Abe Purrugganan and actress Vivian Velez, this is a purely citizens’ initiative to persuade the President to declare a revolutionary government.

Besides the Luneta assembly for those residing in Metro Manila, several major cities and groups of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are expected to join the gathering.

The organizers said they will repose powers in the President to enable him to declare the revolutionary government, though it remained unclear how this will be done.

As for Diño’s group, the MRRD-NECC official said, partly in Filipino, “so far in the National MRRD, [we have not received any official notice that we will participate in the assembly for a revolutionary government. We can see that the President can very capably continue to run the nation’s affairs based under the existing Constitution.”