V. Conclusion President Aquino’s allies may have stepped outside the bounds of constitutional authority when they authorized national government agencies and local governments to suspend the operation of laws. More importantly, the Resolution makes bad policy. It gives both national government agencies and local governments the widest latitude in determining which laws to suspend for purposes of this “emergency.” This would, in effect, threaten laws that were designed to protect the interests of local stakeholders. All environmental laws and those requiring consultations with local communities may be brushed aside. There are no stringent conditions on the House Joint Resolution that will limit the President’s exercise of emergency powers. The final form of the Resolution, if it should come out at all, needs additional safeguards of stakeholders especially at the local level. Otherwise, this entire campaign may be nothing more than a pretext for circumventing laws designed to protect local interests from the onslaught of the national government.
21