Pushing the limits of power FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 08/01/2010

Pushing the limits of power

FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 08/01/2010 Under the Constitution under which the government operates, the only sole law-making body is the Congress of the Philippines. Yet with the Executive Order (EO) No. 1 issued yesterday by Noynoy Aquino, which creates the Truth Commission and giving it not only investigative powers but also subpoena powers, along with penalties imposed should summonses be ignored, it appears that the new President is deliberately usurping the powers of Congress. True, the president can issue an EO and even create a truth commission that will investigate public officials of at least third-level, such as department heads of government agencies and even private individuals suspected of being involved in graft and corruption cases but such an EO would be limited to a fact-finding job that would have its findings having only recommendatory powers and nothing else — unless, the powers that the Truth Commission seeks in EO1 are backed up by a law crafted by Congress and passed into law. But the Palace wants to do away with Congress, saying having Congress enact a law to give the Truth Commission teeth would take too long. An EO, it said is preferable. That’s called a short cut and an illegal and unconstitutional one at that.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100801com2.html

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