BUSTOS, Bulacan—Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) candidates led by former President Joseph Estrada agreed with the Supreme Court landmark decision allowing outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to choose the next chief justice.
In an interview during his brief campaign break in the province on Thursday, Estrada said whatever the Supreme Court says becomes the law.
“Right or wrong, whatever they say becomes the law of the land,” Estrada said.
When asked by journalists on his opinion with the ruling issued by the high court on Wednesday, he directed journalists to re-electionist Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, one of the senior PMP candidate and a veteran legislator.
“The President, by necessity must appoint the next Chief Justice,” Enrile said.
He noted that appointing the next chief justice is part of the contingency on the part of the government to avoid possible crisis.
He described Chief Justice Reynato Puno’s retirement on May 17 as an anticipated vacancy.
“No one among the framers of the Constitution thought of situation like this, and not one thought of what if the chief justice and other magistrates die in an accident, does that mean that the sitting President can’t appoint replacement to fill the vacancies?” Enrile asked.
For their part, former Sen. Francisco Tatad and Atty. JB Bautista agreed with Enrile’s arguments.
Tatad noted two provisions in the 1987 Constitution. One allows the President to make an appointment, and the other is about election ban on appointments.
He said that if Arroyo chooses not to appoint the next chief justice, it will endanger public service and security.
“We have to prepare for all contingency and we should compel the President to make the appointment,” said Tatad who served as the information chief during the time of the late President Ferdinand Marcos and as senator during Estrada’s aborted presidency.
For his part, Makati City Mayor and PMP Vice Presidential candidate Jejomar Binay said everybody should pray that President Arroyo may appoint the right person as Puno’s replacement.
“Magdasal tayo na sana ang mapili ni GMA ay karapatdapat,” he said.
Estrada and PMP candidates toured Bulacan for the second time since the start of the campaign period for candidates in national elective positions last February 9.
On Wednesday, PMP candidates blazed the campaign trail from the City of San Jose Del Monte to Norzagaray, then to the towns of Angat, Bustos, Baliauag, San Rafael, San Miguel, Calumpit and the City of Meycauayan.
Last February 24, Estrada and PMP candidates drew huge crowd in the City of San Jose Del Monte after their campaign sortie in the nearby province of Pampanga.
In an interview during his brief campaign break in the province on Thursday, Estrada said whatever the Supreme Court says becomes the law.
“Right or wrong, whatever they say becomes the law of the land,” Estrada said.
When asked by journalists on his opinion with the ruling issued by the high court on Wednesday, he directed journalists to re-electionist Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, one of the senior PMP candidate and a veteran legislator.
“The President, by necessity must appoint the next Chief Justice,” Enrile said.
He noted that appointing the next chief justice is part of the contingency on the part of the government to avoid possible crisis.
He described Chief Justice Reynato Puno’s retirement on May 17 as an anticipated vacancy.
“No one among the framers of the Constitution thought of situation like this, and not one thought of what if the chief justice and other magistrates die in an accident, does that mean that the sitting President can’t appoint replacement to fill the vacancies?” Enrile asked.
For their part, former Sen. Francisco Tatad and Atty. JB Bautista agreed with Enrile’s arguments.
Tatad noted two provisions in the 1987 Constitution. One allows the President to make an appointment, and the other is about election ban on appointments.
He said that if Arroyo chooses not to appoint the next chief justice, it will endanger public service and security.
“We have to prepare for all contingency and we should compel the President to make the appointment,” said Tatad who served as the information chief during the time of the late President Ferdinand Marcos and as senator during Estrada’s aborted presidency.
For his part, Makati City Mayor and PMP Vice Presidential candidate Jejomar Binay said everybody should pray that President Arroyo may appoint the right person as Puno’s replacement.
“Magdasal tayo na sana ang mapili ni GMA ay karapatdapat,” he said.
Estrada and PMP candidates toured Bulacan for the second time since the start of the campaign period for candidates in national elective positions last February 9.
On Wednesday, PMP candidates blazed the campaign trail from the City of San Jose Del Monte to Norzagaray, then to the towns of Angat, Bustos, Baliauag, San Rafael, San Miguel, Calumpit and the City of Meycauayan.
Last February 24, Estrada and PMP candidates drew huge crowd in the City of San Jose Del Monte after their campaign sortie in the nearby province of Pampanga.
