Junta push persists amid ‘carrot dangling’

Junta talk continues to swirl in political and military circles, with proposals for a “military-backed reset” or civil-military junta persisting despite firm denials and constitutional warnings from key officials.

Calls for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte to resign have evolved into increasingly extreme scenarios — from a transition council to military intervention.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said he has personally received messages from retired officers promoting such plans.

“Some retired military officers have reached out to me about a civil-military junta. Some even offered that I be part of the ‘council’ after the junta. But I did not entertain them,” he said.

The Makabayan Bloc (see related story) earlier urged both Marcos and Duterte to step down and proposed Senate President Tito Sotto or House Speaker Bojie Dy as caretakers while Congress prepares a special election.

Adding fuel to the unrest, former Rep. Zaldy Co has directly accused Marcos of receiving P25 billion in kickbacks from the P100 billion “inserted” into the 2025 national budget for flood control projects.

Even as Lacson rejected the proposals for a junta or a “reset” as unconstitutional, political observers note that the environment fueling junta chatter remains volatile — from corruption allegations over ghost flood control projects to signs of military restiveness.

Critics cite a figurative dangling of carrots to the military: the September announcement of P1.64 billion in performance-based bonuses for 110,000 AFP personnel.

Coming amid political heat, the payout was viewed by some as an attempt to blunt coup or junta impulses within the ranks.

A month later, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner was forced to address coup rumors, conceding there were “grumblings” among soldiers.

‘Dream on’

Against this political and economic backdrop, Lacson said those pushing for a “transition council” or military intervention “might as well dream on.”

“I hope such military-backed intervention would not happen because nothing good can come out of it,” he said in a radio interview.

“There are so many people with active imaginations,” Lacson added. “During times of crisis like this, we cannot blame them for thinking up extra-legal and unconstitutional ways, perhaps in their passion to change the system because they saw how systemic corruption has become.”

He stressed that the 1987 Constitution sets a fixed succession ending with the House Speaker, prompting his “Designated Survivor” bill to extend the line to the most senior lawmakers.

Lacson also cited the Catholic Church’s stance against violent solutions, recalling a recent conversation with CBCP president Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David.

“We had a positive talk because it sought the good of the country and not violence… After all, what good will violence do for the nation?” he said.

He noted “positive steps” in the corruption probe, including the issuance of arrest warrants against former Rep. Elizaldy Co and others.

“On the aspect of investigation, we can provide the DoJ and Ombudsman copies of evidence we gathered… so they can use the evidence to go after those involved,” he said.

As rumors grew, another layer of intrigue surfaced when media firms associated with business tycoon Ramon S. Ang started circulating talk from business circles of an interim, military-assisted “reset” to stabilize markets, calm investors, and steer the country toward elections — with Ang positioned as a so-called “consensus caretaker.”

Ang has swiftly rejected the speculation, saying on Facebook: “Let me put things to rest: I am not entering politics… that is where I intend to stay.”

Ang joined Marcos and Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon during the launch of "Oplan Kontra Baha: Metro Cebu Waterways Clearing and Cleaning Operations" on 21 November.