Philippine President unexpectedly wants to change the country's name
Mr Duterte wants to change the country's name to Maharlika to erase colonial vestiges, but this would require amending the Philippine constitution.
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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Photo: Reuters. |
"One day, let's change the name of the country. Marcos was right when he wanted to change the name of the country to Maharlika," Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on February 11 during a ceremony in Maguindanao province.
Maharlika means “noble” in the local language and Duterte wants to use the new name to erase the colonial legacy of the country. The Philippines was a Spanish colony for more than 300 years and the country was named after Spanish King Philip II.
Senate President Tito Sotto said Duterte's idea of changing the country's name would require the Philippines to change its constitution and many other related laws. Duterte is also pushing for an amendment to the Philippine constitution to change the form of government to a federal one.
Marcos, the Philippine leader who was ousted more than 30 years ago after a peaceful uprising, was the first to propose changing the country's name to promote national identity after coming to power. Duterte, who often distances himself from the Philippines' colonial era, has also suggested it would be better for the Philippines to change its name to better suit its national identity.
