Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has said that the name of the country should be changed to ‘Maharlika’ referring to nobles in the local language, reviving the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ proposal.
Philippines is a reminder of the country’s colonial past, as it is derived from Spain’s King Philip II, he said.
Senate President Tito Sotto, however, said it may entail rewriting the Constitution.
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“It will require too many changes,” he said in a mobile-phone message on Tuesday.
Duterte has also been pushing for changes to the nation’s charter, primarily to install a federal form of government.
The late dictator Marcos, who was ousted from power by a peaceful uprising more than three decades ago, first suggested the name change to promote nationalism after he placed the Philippines under military rule.
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Duterte has, on multiple occasions, identified with the causes that Marcos supported. In 2016, he said he would allow Marcos’ body to be buried at the Philippines’ heroes’ cemetery, despite strong opposition. Marcos fled to Hawaii in 1986 following a popular revolt. He ruled the Philippines for 20 years, during which time his family amassed an estimated fortune of $10 billion.
In August 2018, Duterte said corruption and illicit drugs were so entrenched in the Philippines that if he were not around, it would be better off run by a dictator such as Marcos.
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