MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson on Sunday revealed that he has rejected offers to be part of a “civil-military junta” that would purportedly replace the government of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
“There were those inciting and wanting a civil military-junta,” he said in an interview with radio dzBB.
“Some retired military officers have reached out to me, I won’t mention names, I was ignoring them. Some even offered that I be part of the ‘junta’, of the ‘council’. But I did not entertain them.”
“There are so many people with active imaginations. During times of crisis like this, we cannot blame them for thinking up extra-legal and unconstitutional ways, perhaps in their passion to change the system because they saw how systemic corruption has become. That’s where they are coming from,” he added.
Illegal change, violence unwanted
Lacson also rejected proposals such as a so-called “transition council” and a supposed military-backed “reset,” saying they are all unconstitutional.
“Dream on,” he said when asked to comment on those making such proposals.
He also said that public outrage over the corruption behind anomalous flood control projects must continue, but not at the expense of the 1987 Constitution.
“I hope such a military-backed intervention would not happen because nothing good can come of it,” he added.
In rejecting unconstitutional changes of leadership, Lacson pointed out that under the 1987 Constitution, the line of succession ends with the House Speaker.
He said this was why he filed his “Designated Survivor bill,” which extends the line of succession to include the most senior Senate and House members, to prevent disruption of government operations in the event of a disaster or “exceptional circumstances” that leave the president and his constitutional successors dead or disabled.
Lacson also noted that the Catholic Church leadership is not in favor of violence, citing a recent talk he attended with Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David. /mcm
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