Palace: ‘Les Mis’ song from critics spurred Duterte’s ‘revolution’ remark vs frontliners

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte’s remark to frontliners on their supposed “revolution” stemmed from a song in the musical “Les Miserables” sung by critics of the government, Malacañang said Monday.

Duterte, in a taped speech Sunday, told frontliners not to “demean” the government and dared them to stage a “revolution” against him after they went public with their criticisms on the government’s COVID-19 response.

“Meron po kasi parang kumakalat na kanta ng rebolusyon na pinangungunahan po ng mga kritiko ng gobyerno. So, yun po yun. Ang sabi nya, ‘wag na nating pahabain ang proseso, kung gusto niyo, ngayon na,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an interview over Teleradyo when asked where the President’s comment came from.

(There’s a song about a revolution that was put out by the government’s critics. That’s it. He said, let’s not prolong the process. If you want [to oust me], do it now.)

“May isa pong revolutionary song galing pong Les Miserables,” he went on.

(There’s a revolutionary song from Les Miserables.)

Several actors made a rendition of the musical’s “Do You Hear the People Sing?” which was streamed the same time as the President’s fifth State of the Nation Address last week.

But apart from the song, Roque questioned why the President was the “last to know” about the medical frontliners’ demands to the government.

“Alam niyo po kasi, ang pinanggagalingan ng Presidente, una, bagamat binigay po niya ang ninanais ng mga frontliners, nagtataka siya, bakit he was the last to know about the demand?” Roque said.

(What the President was coming from was that though he gave what the frontliners wanted, he was wondering why he was the last to know about their demands?)

Medical frontliners over the weekend called for a “time out” to revert Mega Manila back to stricter quarantine as COVID-19 cases continue to surge.

In a letter to the President, the medical frontliners said the “time out” can be used to refine the COVID-19 response strategies which include “hospital workforce efficiency, failure of case finding and isolation, failure of contact tracing and quarantine,” among others.

“Dumating sa kanya ang liham, alas kwatro ng hapon. Pero a las diyes ng umaga, nagkaroon ng public webinar. And the day before, may request pa for media coverage. At saka yung liham mismo kay Presidente the day before, kalat na bago pa dumating sa Presidente,” Roque said.

(He received the letter at 4 p.m. But at 10 in the morning, there was a public webinar. A media coverage was requested a day before. The letter to the President has already circulated before he received it.)

JE