Wearing colorful attires, students participate in the Dulangsangan parade in Malolos City as the province of Bulacan marked the 115th Republic Day yesterday.
PHOTO BY DINO BALAB
MALOLOS CITY—Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno hailed the 1987 Constitution for giving the Supreme Court the power to rule on the controversial Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel which they abolished last year. Speaking before thousands at the 115th Republic Day celebrations in historic Barasoain Church here yesterday, Sereno noted the advantages of the 1899 Malolos and the 1987 Freedom Constitutions.
She described the Constitution as a “national covenant” which she and the rest of the Supreme Court believe and vow to defend. According to Sereno, the 1899 Malolos Constitution which gave birth to the first Philippine Republic leans more on the parliament or the national assembly, making it the most powerful branch of government in those times.
The said Constitution which was ratified by the Malolos Congress at the Barasoain Church here also established the first Supreme Court of the Philippines. However, one distinct feature of the Malolos Constitution she cited was that it gave the power of the vice president to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
While Sereno hailed the Malolos Constitution, she recognized the current Constitution which gave SC the power to balance power between Congress and the Executive branch. Stressing her point, he mentioned the SC’s decision to abolish PDA last year.
“Noong nakaraang taon lamang, ipinawalang bisa ng Korte Suprema ang Ilang mga batas, polisiya at mga kasanayang bumabangga sa maselang balance ng 1987 Konstitusyon. Babanggitin ko ang PDAFpara linawin
ang aking punto.
Kung napanatili ang pagkiling sa lehislatura na matatagpuan sa Konstitusyon ng Malolos, maaaring hindi makakapaghusga ang Korte Suprema sa isyu ng PDAF tulad ng ginawa nito noong nakaraang Nobyembre, kung saan sinasabi ng Korte na hindi maaaring panghimasukan ng Lehislatura ang isang kapangyarihang ibinigay ng Konstitusyon sa Ehukutibo lamang,” she said.
She also said that advocacies of framers of the Constitution remain relevant today because they saw the need to balance power that will lead the Filipino people. Sereno also said, “kung may agam-agam po kayo sa inyong puso sa katapatan ng mga institusyon ng pamahalaan sa kanilang mga sinumpaang tungkulin sa ilalim ng ating Konstitusyon at mga batas, sariwain natin ang ating pinanggalingan.
Himukin natin ang kaluluwa ng konstitusyonalismo na humubog sa Konstitusyong Malolos.
