‘People Power’ shouldn’t escalate under Duterte —Saycon

The Duterte administration doesn’t want another “People Power” to escalate, a member of Malacañang’s religious dialogue committee said on Thursday.

Political strategist and Pastor Boy Saycon recalled how it was difficult to mediate between religious groups and the Estrada administration in the early 2000s.

Former President Joseph Estrada was peacefully ousted from office after EDSA II, or the second People Power, broke out in 2001. Then Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo emerged as President following his ouster.

“During (former) President Estrada’s time, we talked to him. He had admitted (to his acts). He was supposed to leave and turn over the presidency to GMA (Arroyo),” Saycon told reporters in Filipino on Thursday.

“But he refused, so ‘People Power’ escalated. We don’t want that to happen again because we have a country with 120 million Filipinos, so let’s all try to help each other,” the political strategist said.

Likewise, Saycon said their committee is asking for understanding, tolerance and forgiveness from the Church.

“We will ask for understanding from the Church, the tolerance, the forgiveness. Our President really is like that,” Saycon said.

“He didn’t say that he was diplomatic in speaking. He just speaks roughly. Since the Church is a forgiving Church and God is a forgiving God, these are the things we will discuss,” he explained.

Saycon was appointed to the committee created by Duterte to hold a dialogue with the country’s religious groups following his scathing remarks against the Church.

Roque said the team, composed of three members, would include him, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ernesto Abella and Saycon.

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