Unlike some people out there, it was never my dream to become the President of the Republic of the Philippines. From yesterday until this Friday, the COMELEC will be accepting hundreds of presidential aspirants from various corners of life.
If I can be elected as a government official, I will not aspire to become of President of this country. These are the reasons on my decision not to seek for the highest position in the policy-making body.
1. The President has too many things to handle.
As a president, you have to make sure that all aspects of this country must be in good shape. The economic should be booming, the rest of the officials should be loyal to the people rather than themselves, and the poorest of the poor should not remain poor. All voices from different classes should be heard and everyone should be given equal treatment.
2. The Filipinos consider the President as an enemy, most of the times.
If a president fails in even one aspect, he’s a failure. There will be people rallying against him. Everyone will be writing articles condemning the decisions that only favor a minority or even a majority. There will always be lapses to any decision and there will be people who call you a crooked or irresponsible leader.
3. The Filipinos blame the President for the country’s poverty.
The president should assure that all his people are living above the poverty line. No one should be suffering from hunger and everyone should be able to eat at least 3 times a day. How can the president assure that? Programs created to help the poor can sometimes be corrupted and would benefit even those who aren’t actually living in poverty lines. As long as there is corrupt public official elected in office, the Philippines will still be in the poverty line.
4. The President’s salary is just a little above the Vice President and other officials.
Did you know that the Philippine President earns P120,000/month while the Vice President earns P111,198/month which is the same as the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives? Can you see the difference?
5. If given a chance, I want to become the Vice President.
Here are the duties of the Vice President of the Philippines:
“According to the Constitution, the Vice President may concurrently assume a cabinet position should the President of the Philippines offer the former one. The Vice President will become a secretary concurrent to the position of Vice President.
Aside from the cabinet post, the vice president is mandated to assume the presidency in case of the death, disability, or resignation of the incumbent President.”
Compare that to the President of the Philippines:
"Besides the constitution, the powers of the President of the Philippines are specifically outlined in Executive Order No. 292, s. 1987, otherwise known as the Administrative Code of 1987. The following powers are:
1. Power of control over the executive branch
The President of the Philippines has the mandate of control over all the executive departments, bureaus, and offices. This includes restructuring, reconfiguring, and appointments of their respective officials. The Administrative Code also provides for the President to be responsible for the abovementioned offices’ strict implementation of laws.
2. Power ordinance power
The President of the Philippines has the power to give executive issuances, which are means to streamline the policy and programs of an administration. There are six issuances that the President may issue. They are the following as defined in the Administrative Code of 1987:
Executive orders — Acts of the President providing for rules of a general or permanent character in implementation or execution of constitutional or statutory powers shall be promulgated in executive orders.
Administrative orders — Acts of the President which relate to particular aspects of governmental operations in pursuance of his duties as the administrative head shall be promulgated in administrative orders.
Proclamations — Acts of the President fixing a date or declaring a status or condition of public moment or interest, upon the existence of which the operation of a specific law or regulation is made to depend, shall be promulgated in proclamations which shall have the force of an executive order.
Memorandum orders — Acts of the President on matters of administrative detail, or of subordinate or temporary interest which only concern a particular officer or government office shall be embodied in memorandum orders.
Memorandum circulars — Acts of the President on matters relating to internal administration, which the President desires to bring to the attention of all or some of the departments, agencies, bureaus, or offices of the government, for information or compliance, shall be embodied in memorandum circulars.
General or special orders — Acts and commands of the President in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines shall be issued as general or special orders.
It is important to note that during the term of President Ferdinand E. Marcos, he used executive issuances known as presidential decrees as a form of legislation. These decrees have the full force and effect of laws because at the time the legislature did not exist and, when the 1973 Constitution was put into full force and effect, it gave the power to the President to do as such. This continued until the first year of President Corazon C. Aquino’s term. However, President Aquino opted to used executive orders instead of presidential decrees. President Aquino’s executive orders, however, still had the full force and effect of laws until the ratification of the 1987 Constitution.
3. Power over aliens
The President of the Philippines has certain powers over non-Filipinos in the Philippines. The powers he may exercise over foreigners in the country are as follows:
The chief executive may have an alien in the Philippines deported from the country after due process.
The President may change the status of a foreigner, as prescribed by law, from a non-immigrant status to a permanent resident status without necessity of visa.
The President may choose to overrule the Board of Commissioners of the Bureau of Immigration before their decision becomes final and executory (after 30 days of the issuance of the decision). The Board of Commissioners of the Bureau of Immigration has jurisdiction over all deportation cases.
The president is also mandated by the Administrative Code of 1987 to exercise powers as recognized by the generally accepted principles of international law.
4. Powers of eminent domain, escheat, land reservation and recovery of ill-gotten wealth
The President of the Philippines has the authority to exercise the power of eminent domain. The power of eminent domains means the state has the power to seize or authorize the seizure of private property for public use with just compensation. There are two constitutional provisions, however, that limit the exercise of such power: Article III, Section 9 (1) of the Constitution provides that no person shall be deprived of his/her life, liberty, or property without due process of law. Furthermore, Article III, Section 9 (2), provides that private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation.
Once the aforementioned conditions are met, the President may exercise the power of eminent domain which are as follows:
Power of eminent domain — The President shall determine when it is necessary or advantageous to exercise the power of eminent domain in behalf of the national government, and direct the solicitor general, whenever he deems the action advisable, to institute expropriation proceedings in the proper court.
Power to direct escheat or reversion proceedings — The President shall direct the solicitor general to institute escheat or reversion proceedings over all lands transferred or assigned to persons disqualified under the constitution to acquire land.
Power to reserve lands of the public and private domain of the government —
(1) The president shall have the power to reserve for settlement or public use, and for specific public purposes, any of the lands of the public domain, the use of which is not otherwise directed by law. The reserved land shall thereafter remain subject to the specific public purpose indicated until otherwise provided by law or proclamation.
(2) He shall also have the power to reserve from sale or other disposition and for specific public uses or purposes, any land belonging to the private domain of the government, or any of the friar lands, the use of which is not otherwise directed by law, and thereafter such land shall be used for the purposes specified by such proclamation until otherwise provided by law.
Power over ill-gotten wealth — The President shall direct the solicitor general to institute proceedings to recover properties unlawfully acquired by public officials or employees, from them or from their nominees or transferees.
Within the period fixed in, or any extension thereof authorized by, the constitution, the President shall have the authority to recover ill-gotten properties amassed by the leaders and supporters of the previous regime, and protect the interest of the people through orders of sequestration or freezing of assets or accounts.
5. Power of appointment
The President may appoint officials of the Philippine government as provided by the constitution and laws of the Philippines. Some of these appointments, however, may need the approval of the Committee on Appointments (a committee composed of members from the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Philippines).
6. Power of general supervision over local governments
The President of the Philippines, as chief executive, has the mandate to supervise local governments in the Philippines, despite their autonomous status as provided by Republic Act No. 7160 otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991.
Traditionally, this is done by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, headed by a cabinet secretary—an alter ego of the President.
7. Other powers
Aside from the aforementioned powers of the President of the Philippines, he can also exercise powers enumerated in the constitution, and powers given to him by law."
Now, tell me, is it really hard to become the Vice President of this country? Vice President Binay categorically admits he has done almost nothing under Aquino’s cabinet. Isn’t it easy to become the Vice President with a President from the opposing party? More than anything else, you’re still earning monthly.
If in case the President dies, I'd immediately resign. I don't want his position.
How about you?
How about you?
Comments
Post a Comment
Leave a message below: