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<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-9/panelo-carpio-sm.webp" alt="Salvador Panelo and Antonio Carpio" />
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(Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo and Former Justice Antonio Carpio)
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<p>
He says in his article: 
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"The reaction of the President's ... legal counsel (is) intriguing. Legal counsel Salvador Panelo explained that 'the call of a revolutionary government must come from the people and not from a single organization or an individual,' implying that if there are more groups supporting the call, Mr. Duterte may consider it."
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<p>
Flawed logic. Mr. Carpio's argumentation is a non sequitur.
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<p>
First, as I have said, the call for a revolutionary government must come from the overwhelming majority of the Filipino people. Not just from <i>"more groups."</i> There is a whale of a difference between an overwhelming majority of the Filipino people and "more groups."
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Second, if there is such an unquestionable overwhelming call, then not only may PRRD consider it, but he is duty bound to submit to the people's will, unless he is either physically incapacitated due to serious illness or as a matter of personal reason and principle he declines to be a part of it.
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Mr. Carpio adds: 
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"Thankfully, Mr. Duterte immediately shot down the idea of a revolutionary government. Although Mr. Duterte apparently knows the leaders of the group, some of whom are undersecretaries in the Department of the Interior and Local Government, he chose to disown the group. 'Wala akong pakialam diyan, wala akong kilala sa mga tao na 'yan at hindi ko 'yan trabaho,' Mr. Duterte emphatically declared."
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Wrong logic again. When the President said he had nothing to do with the group advocating for a revolutionary government, did not know the persons behind it, and is not his function to be part of it, he was exactly saying the truth, but it does not mean he is shutting down the idea. He is only saying he has nothing to do with the group, nor does he know anyone of them, and neither is he advocating for it as it is not included in his job description as president. Simply put, the establishment of a revolutionary government is not his call but the people's.
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That is why in his latest statement, he said that the talks on revolutionary government should not be made in sub rosa or in secrecy. All forces of society may discuss it, let a thousand voices be heard in discourse, including the military. That is the essence of democracy. Its discussion as a concept is constitutionally protected under the freedom of speech.
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<p>
The former SC Justice pontificates: 
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"Mr. Duterte will be committing political hara-kiri if he instigates or approves a revolutionary government."
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He does not elaborate why PRRD will be committing political suicide if a revolutionary government is established. For one, PRRD said it's not part of his function to be advocating or working to install a revolutionary government, hence, necessarily, he cannot initiate it. Neither can he approve it, rather it is the people who will approve of it.
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<p>
Mr. Carpio is however correct in saying: 
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"A revolutionary government automatically abrogates the Constitution and vests all government power in the President alone."
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But he is mistaken in postulating that: 
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"Congress and the Supreme Court can exist and function only upon tolerance of the President, and all their acts and decisions are subject to his approval."
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In a revolutionary government, Congress is abolished. The legislative power is exercised by the one who heads the revolutionary government.
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Panelo dissected issues raised by former Justice Carpio on revolutionary government