Real, concrete issues

A LAW EACH DAY (KEEPS TROUBLE AWAY) By Jose C. Sison The Philippine St ! "#$"%$&""%

Li'tin( the st te o' n tion l e)e!(en*y +n,e! P!o*l ) tion -"-. 'te! only /ee0 sho/s th t the!e is !e lly no nee, to o''i*i lly ,e*l !e it in the 'i!st pl *e. S+*h e1i(en*y *o+l, not h 2e si)ply *o)e n, (one in s+*h sho!t pe!io,. Bet/een 3e4!+ !y &5 n, 6 !*h #7 &""% the ,)inist! tion h s not +n,e!t 0en !e l ,! sti*7 e1t! o!,in !y n, s/eepin( *tions th t /o+l, * te(o!i* lly en, the o''i*i lly ,e*l !e, e)e!(en*y. The o''i*i l p!o*l ) tion / s s+ppose,ly t!i((e!e, 4y the ,is*o2e!y o' the t *ti* l lli n*e o' the politi* l opposition n, the e1t!e)e le't in *on*e!te, n, syste) ti* *onspi! *y o2e! 4!o , '!ont to 4!in( ,o/n the ,+ly *onstit+te, (o2e!n)ent ele*te, in 6 y &""5. B+t s+*h e1i(en*y h s 4een in e1isten*e 'o! 8+ite ti)e l!e ,y. This is e2en e1p!essly !e*o(ni9e, in 'i!st /he!e s *l +se o' -"-. ,e*l !in( the e1isten*e o' s i, plot :o2e! these p st )onths:. An, the th!e t *ontin+es **o!,in( to the ,)inist! tion. With o! /itho+t -"-. the!e'o!e7 o+! *o+nt!y is l!e ,y in n e)e!(en*y )o,e. -"-. only ((! 2 te, the sit+ tion s it hei(htene, the 'e ! ' *to!7 *o)po+n,e, the st te o' (it tion7 ,eepene, the *on'+sion n, sh !pene, the ,i2ision )on( the people. ;t h s ,one )o!e h !) th n (oo,. So its li'tin( is )ost /el*o)e in,ee,. The!e is !e lly no spe*i'i* Constit+tion l p!o2ision e)po/e!in( the P!esi,ent to ,e*l !e st te o' n tion l e)e!(en*y. Se*tion -.7 A!ti*le <;; *ite, 4y -"-. ,oes not e)po/e! the P!esi,ent to ) 0e s+*h ,e*l ! tion. This se*tion (! nts the St te (not the P!esi,ent spe*i'i* lly) the po/e! to te)po! !ily t 0e o2e! o! ,i!e*t the ope! tion o' ny p!i2 tely o/ne, p+4li* +tility /hen n tion l e)e!(en*y l!e ,y e1ists. Essenti lly -"-. is :* llin( o+t: o!,e! ,,!esse, to the A!)e, 3o!*es o' the Philippines. ;t is one o' the po/e!s (! nte, to the P!esi,ent s Co)) n,e!=in=Chie' o' s i, !)e, 'o!*es /hene2e! it 4e*o)es ne*ess !y to p!e2ent o! s+pp!ess l /less 2iolen*e7 in2 sion o! !e4ellion p+!s+ nt to Se*tion ->7 A!ti*le ?;;. The othe!s !e the s+spension o' the p!i2ile(e o' the /!it o' h 4e s *o!p+s n, the pl *in( o' the Philippines +n,e! ) !ti l l /. Unli0e the l tte! t/o po/e!s7 the P!esi,ent@s +tho!ity to ,e*i,e /hen to * ll o+t the !)e, 'o!*es p+!s+ nt to this se*tion is e1*l+si2e n, his ,e*ision is *on*l+si2e on ll pe!sons n, the!e'o!e not s+4Ae*t to A+,i*i l !e2ie/ (6 !tin 2s. 6ott7 -& Whe t -B U.S.). She nee, not 'i!st ,e*l !e :St te o' C tion l E)e!(en*y: s this is not t ll p!o2i,e, in Se*tion ->. ;ss+in( Dene! l O!,e!s /o+l, h 2e 4een eno+(h. Th+s he! ,e*l ! tion o' st te o' n tion l e)e!(en*y 4e'o!e iss+in( (ene! l o!,e!s E n, % * llin( o+t the !)e, 'o!*es !en,e!e, he! *tions s+4Ae*t to A+,i*i l !e2ie/ 4e* +se s+*h ,e*l ! tion pp !ently l *0s soli, *onstit+tion l 4 ses. Constit+tion lly 8+estion 4le n, the!e'o!e s+4Ae*t to A+,i*i l !e2ie/ is he! iss+ n*e o' P!o*l ) tion -"-. ,e*l !in( st te o' n tion l e)e!(en*y ! the! th n he! * llin( o+t the !)e, 'o!*es. To 4e s+!e7 :n tion l e)e!(en*y: is )entione, only in Se*tion -. A!ti*le -& n, Se*tion &# (&) A!ti*le % o' the Constit+tion. Both se*tions *onte)pl te sit+ tions /he!e :n tion l e)e!(en*y: l!e ,y e1ists 4+t ,o not ,e'ine the te!) o! spe*i'y /ho * n ,e*l !e it. As l!e ,y )entione,7 Se*tion -.7 A!ti*le -& !e'e!s to the po/e! o' the St te (not the P!esi,ent) to t 0e o2e! p!i2 tely o/ne, 4+siness en( (e, in p+4li* +tility ,+!in( ti)es o' n tion l e)e!(en*y. Se*tion &#(&) A!ti*le % on the othe! h n, !e'e!s to the po/e! o' Con(!ess to +tho!i9e the P!esi,ent :to e1e!*ise po/e!s ne*ess !y n, p!ope! to * !!y o+t ,e*l !e, n tion l poli*y: in ti)es o' :/ ! o! othe! n tion l e)e!(en*y:. P+!s+ nt to this se*tion7 ll the )o!e * n it 4e s i, the po/e! to ,e*l !e st te o' n tion l e)e!(en*y 4elon(s to Con(!ess. ;n p !. -7 this se*tion e)po/e!s Con(!ess to ,e*l !e the e1isten*e o' the st te o' / !. An, sin*e p !. & e8+ tes the st te o' / ! /ith n tion l e)e!(en*y7 it /o+l, 4e )o!e lo(i* l to *on*l+,e th t it is Con(!ess /hi*h * n ,e*l !e st te o' n tion l e)e!(en*y s it h s the po/e! to ,e*l !e st te o' / !. Th+s 4e* +se o' -"-.7 the 'ollo/in( *onstit+tion l iss+es e)e!(e n, 4e( 'o! ns/e!sF ;s it still ne*ess !y to ,e*l !e st te o' n tion l e)e!(en*y to p!e2ent l /less 2iolen*e in2 sion o! !e4ellionG Wh t is the )e nin( o' :st te o' n tion l e)e!(en*y:G Who h s the po/e! to ,e*l !e s+*h e1i(en*yG H s the P!esi,ent the po/e! to ,e*l !e st te o' n tion l e)e!(en*yG Ass+)in( the P!esi,ent h s s+*h po/e!7 is the s+''i*ien*y o' the ' *t+ l 4 sis o' its p!o*l ) tion 4y the P!esi,ent s+4Ae*t to A+,i*i l !e2ie/ li0e in the s+spension o' the p!i2ile(e o' the /!it o' h 4e s *o!p+s n, ,e*l ! tion o' ) !ti l l /G Wh t !e the po/e!s o' the P!esi,ent +n,e! st te o' n tion l e)e!(en*yG When sho+l, the st te o' e)e!(en*y 4e li'te,G C n it l st in,e'initely o! * n it 4e !e2o0e, 4y Con(!ess s in h 4e s *o!p+s s+spension n, ) !ti l l / p!o*l ) tionG These !e 2 li, n, !ele2 nt 8+estions th t )+st 4e !esol2e, 4y the S+p!e)e Co+!t e2en i' the st te o' e)e!(en*y s+4Ae*t o' the 2 !io+s petitions 4e'o!e it7 h s l!e ,y 4een li'te,. S+*h li'tin( ,oes not !en,e!

these 8+estions )oot n, * ,e)i*. Until these iss+es !e !esol2e, no/7 '+t+!e *ont!o2e!sies !e( !,in( the s+4Ae*t /ill 0eep on *o)in( 4 *0 s othe! si)il ! p!o*l ) tions ) y 4e iss+e, ( in n, ( in.