The Constitution in the nation’s life

THE Philippine Constitution has been at the center of a number of national developments and issues these past few months, most notably the Priority Development Assistance Fund ( PDAF) and the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) which were struck down by the Supreme Court.

The PDAF or “pork barrel” of legislators was ruled unconstitutional for allowing legislators to intervene in projects of the executive department long after congressional action. The DAP violated constitutional provisions on savings and crossborder fund transfers.

These two issues held the nation’s attention for months, largely because they involved the loss of billions of pesos in public funds. Two other issues -- the Cybercrime Prevention Act and the Reproductive Health Act – may not have drawn as much attention, but they were equally crucial national and constitutional issues.

And now, two more constitutional issues have arisen – the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the United States and the Bangsamoro Basic Law now in Congress. The first concerns our relationship with our historic and closest ally, the US. The second is a key element in the ongo- ing national uproar over the death of 44 police commandos in Maguindanao. They are both now pending in the Supreme Court.

These issues serve to demonstrate the key role played by the Constitution in the life of our nation. The First Republic led by President Emilio Aguinaldo and the Second Republic led by President Jose P. Laurel had their own Constitutions. The current Third Philippine Republic which began with President Manuel Roxas in 1946 was initially governed by the 1935 Constitution, which went into effect on February 8, 1935. It was followed by the 1973 Constitution of the Marcos martial law regime; the 1986 provisional Freedom Constitution proclaimed by President Cory Aquino after EDSA 1; and now the 1987 Constitution drawn up by a Constitutional Commission appointed by her.

Today, the Philippine Constitution Association led by Chairman Manuel M. Lazaro and President Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez pays tribute to all these basic documents that have governed the life of our nation for over a century, when it celebrates Constitution Day. The celebration carries on a long-standing tradition which highlights the association’s goal of promoting greater awareness of and respect for the Constitution and its basic principles of justice, liberty, and equality