Fenix, Dei Monica B.

PSC1102 Section
1
Lesson One: Assessment
1. Can we consider Philippines as a “strong sovereign state”? Discuss your answer
argumentatively by making your own concept of “strong sovereign state”
First, let me define what sovereignty is, according to Jean Bodin, the Father of
Modern Theory of Sovereignty, it is the power over subjects and their possessions
unrestrained by law. As for my concept of sovereignty, I want it to be a kind of
sovereignty that is not only independent from the control of foreign countries and a state
that could protect their people on their land. That is a simple concept yet complicated, for
as of now, the current concept of sovereignty in the Philippines is not being exercised
properly, and the Philippines as a state is not a strong sovereign state.
Why so? Even if Locsin stated in the pre-SONA press briefing that “We’ve been
forthright in our claims. We have stood by our claims and we have done it with openness
and in the spirit of friendship, but also with every indication of firmness,” however, if
that’s the case, then why does it seem like there’s no “firmness” on our claims over the
West Philippine Sea? There was even an article where China took advantage of the
pandemic, continuing their business on the sea amid the outbreak. Another one is the
occurrence of the “accident” on the Recto Bank, a Chinese vessel sinking a boat of the
Filipinos, specifically, Junel Insigne strongly claimed that it wasn’t an accident, however,
he changed his claim when Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol visited them. They
couldn’t even defend their countrymen in their own country, to make it worse the
secretary may have pulled some strings to make it appear as an “accident.”
Legally and formally, the Philippines is a sovereign state, but in reality, it’s
questionable. Defending and exercising our sovereignty doesn’t necessarily mean going
into war, there other alternatives such as diplomacy and protecting our land, people, and
our sovereignty peacefully, yet effectively.
2. Conceptually speaking, what makes the Philippine Constitution supreme law of the
land? In your own observation, does 1987 Philippine constitution imbibed the
essence of “supremacy”?
The Philippine Constitution is conceptually the supreme law of the Philippines
and imbibes the essence of “supremacy.” How so?
Due to the experience of Filipinos under the regime of Marcos, specifically, the
Martial Law where human rights were violated tremendously, citizens were tortured,
killed, imprisoned, and was sentenced to death without due process. Those are few
reasons as to why the People Power Revolution, and what came out of it is the 1987
Philippine Constitution along with freedom from the Marcos regime. What makes the
constitution imbibe not only the supremacy but also sacredness is due to the reason that
it’s the manifestation of people’s will, and what makes it supreme the supreme law is the
fact that Filipinos authored the said constitution.
 The 1987 Constitution is not merely a law, it is a supreme law that imbibes the
will of the people.
References:

GMA News Online. (2019, June 19). Accident or intentional? Pinoy fishers from Reed Bank
incident now uncertain. Retrieved August 28, 2020, from
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/698290/pinoy-fishermen-in-recto-bank-
incident-changes-tune-after-meeting-with-da-chief/story/

Punongbayan, M. (2020, July 22). Government defending Philippines sovereignty in West

Philippine Sea- Lorenzana. Retrieved August 28, 2020, from
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/07/23/2029971/government-defending-
philippines-sovereignty-west-philippine-sea-lorenzana