DILG warns anti-corruption protesters vs seditious remarks

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will look into calls for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to resign, and for the military to withdraw support from him, as some of the statements made may already be seditious, Secretary Jonvic Remulla said on Monday.

He was reacting to statements made during the ongoing protests at the EDSA People Power Monument, largely calling for the President’s resignation amid the brewing corruption scandal.

“That’s close to inciting sedition. So i-investigate namin sila. Yung mga ganyang klaseng salita have no place in a civil society,” he said.

(We will investigate. Statements like that have no place in a civil society.)

“We’ll go for truth, accountability, and justice,” Remulla told reporters.

The United People's Initiative,  a group of retired military officials, continued on Monday their protest along White Plains Avenue in Quezon City as they call for accountability following reports of corruption in the government. 

The group was joined by members of PDP-Laban, One Bangsamoro, Kingdom of Jesus Christ, Jesus is Lord, and Iglesia Ni Cristo.

Cavite 4th district Representative Kiko Barzaga was present on the second day of the UPI protest, where he affirmed that the military and government agencies must withdraw support from Marcos.

“All government agencies, all private agencies, all institutions must withdraw support from President Marcos,” the lawmaker told reporters. 

“We gave him a large mandate, a large responsibility and wala pa siyang ginagawa (he has not done anything). We cannot handle another three years of President Marcos,” he said.

“I’m also calling for his resignation,” he added.

But Remulla reminded protesters about pronouncements that may seek the downfall of the government, which the government has the duty to prevent.

“With freedom of expression comes a sense of responsibility. So calling an act of sedition is not curtailing; it’s dangerous to the state,” he said.

In response to Remulla’s statement, Barzaga said that sedition charges based on statements calling for Marcos’ resignation would not hold up in court. 

“Hindi naman abogado si Jonvic (Jonvic is not a lawyer), but he is free to share his legal interpretations… If he believes that calling on Marcos to resign after all the things we’ve seen is seditious, then that’s up to him, but I don’t think it will hold up in court,” he said.—MCG, GMA Integrated News