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‘REVOLUTIONARY WAR’

Duterte warns critics, ‘I will arrest all of you’


President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday threatened to declare a "revolutionary war" if he is "pushed to the wall."

Speaking at an assembly of Department of Justice prosecutors in Puerto Princesa City, Duterte slammed opposition Senator Franklin Drilon for advising the government to exercise caution in implementing the President’s directive to review all contracts and loan agreements including those with China.

According to Drilon, a former justice secretary, to do otherwise would constitute a breach of the country's obligations under the contract as this would have legal and financial implications.

"Why should I be very careful in reviewing contracts that are not to the interest of the people? And the onerous and burden provisions there that people have to honor. So you think that I will allow it just because we cannot impair the obligation of our contract?" Duterte said.

"I have enough problems with criminality, drugs, rebellion and all pero pag ako ang pinaabot ninyo ng sagad, I will declare the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus and I will arrest all of you. Kasama kayo sa mga rebelde, mga kriminal pati ang mga durogista. Then pahirapan mo ako? I will declare a revolutionary war until the end of my term, then pasensyahan tayo." he added.

He said: "Be careful of legalities of what? P___ina, how dare you say that to me Mr. Drilon. ...Do not push me to the wall."

The President later told reporters that his threat was a reminder not to push him to the "extreme because it would be dangerous for everybody."

"It might not really end the way you would like it to be," he said.

Duterte previously toyed with the idea of setting up a revolutionary government if the country fell into chaos due to supposed attempts by his critics to unseat him.

The President changed his statement in November 2017, saying that he was not planning to establish one. —LDF, GMA News

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