Palace: Probe Chavit for ‘seditious’ remarks
Palace press officer Claire Castro on Monday asked authorities to investigate if businessman and former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson may be held liable for inciting to sedition after he called for the ouster of President Marcos, his erstwhile political ally.
At a press briefing in Malacañang, Castro urged the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Philippine National Police and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to look into the statements made by Singson, particularly his call for the Filipino youth to join the “revolution against corruption.”
“We are appealing to the leadership, especially to [Interior] Secretary Jonvic Remulla, to acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Natartez Jr., and of course to the DOJ, to closely examine the statements made by Mr. Chavit Singson,” she said.
“Because through these, he enticed young people—especially high school and college students, many of whom are likely minors—to skip school. He even said that while the officials they want to oust have not yet stepped down, the youth should take a stand,” Castro added.
‘Patently unconstitutional’
“This must be investigated to determine whether he can be charged with inciting to sedition,” she said.
Former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, however, criticized the proposal of Castro, calling it “a patently unconstitutional directive/suggestion.”
In a Facebook post, Hilbay explained that “inciting to sedition punishes ‘scurrilous libel against the government.’”
“Unless the function of government is to engage in corruption, Chavit Singson’s call for a ‘revolution against corruption’ is clearly free speech,” he said.
A person convicted for inciting to sedition can be imprisoned for up to six years and also fined up to P400,000.
Singson made the statements during an interview on Bilyonaryo News Channel on Monday. He pushed for the removal of President Marcos, saying the systemic corruption in government could not be fixed under his administration.
The former Ilocos Sur governor proposed the establishment of a revolutionary government similar to the one established under former President Corazon Aquino in 1986, following the ouster of the President’s father, then President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., after the first Edsa People Power Revolution.
“If he (President Marcos) has a conscience, he should give up. He can no longer repair this given the extent of corruption. I never thought this would happen after I helped him,” Singson said.
Delaying the inevitable
He also downplayed the investigations being conducted on billions of pesos worth of anomalous government flood control projects, saying it would only delay the inevitable but not lead to any convictions.
To provide the impetus for the formation of a revolutionary government, Singson called on the youth to take the lead in protests as he described them as the “real stakeholders of the country’s future.”
