[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’General welfare’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY SONIA D. DAQUILA
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
Monday, February 6, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
GENERAL welfare is the supreme law, thus it sounds noble and lofty if a government’s plans and actions are anchored on this.
Along this line, the United States of America’s newly installed president Donald Trump vowed that he will make America great again. One of his early attempts is to stop terrorism which he reportedly shared with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
It could be that the USA president, like our own president, Rodrigo Duterte, has a similar burning passion to uphold the general welfare of the people. It’s moving to see President Duterte declaring his extreme hatred on drugs and his readiness to kill and be killed to achieve his noble aims. Trump’s war, on the other hand, is the war on terrorism, hence the issuance of his Executive Order banning Muslims and refugees from America, consequently igniting protest among those prejudiced.
In the Philippines, extrajudicial killings generated negative reactions while it is shocking that those in uniform and public servants are implicated or even masterminded illegal acts, including kidnapping. For the first time, the Philippine National Police director exposed in public high- ranking police officers, shaming them before the cameras, in an un-gentlemanly manner, unbecoming of a top-ranking police officer.
While our own President Duterte seems to ignore the Supreme Court, Trump has only words, belittling Seattle Judge Robart who issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) on the implementation of his Executive Order that bans Muslims to the US, which consequently resulted to the immediate reversing of cancelled visa.
Trump finds the judge’s order “atrocious” and Judge Robart “ridiculous”. For the White House, the struggle has just begun, putting in jeopardy the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch, the President’s nominee to the US Supreme Court.
While there are critics, there are also those who believe in the nobility of Trump’s Executive Order. The bottom line is, the judicial branch of government works and their basis is the US Constitution to implement or to totally discard Trump’s Executive Order as unconstitutional.
Similarly, in the speech of President Rodrigo Duterte it could be inferred that he perceives the Executive branch as the most superior among the three branches of government: the Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary.
The following day, his apologists justified and labelled the same as a joke. At least no TRO has been sought and issued yet. One thing is proven too – the consistency of inconsistencies of public statements.
In the earnest context of democracy and republicanism, general welfare is not a ready justification all the time. The time-honored principle “That ours is a government of laws and not of men” stands. “Due process of law” demands extrajudicial killings be halted. “Public office is a public trust” while there is diminishing trust and confidence, the same may escalate into loss of confidence.
Filipinos are subdued, too patient to the point of becoming stoic. Yet, when they finally express their indignation, they fear nothing and no one. (delsocorrodaquila@gmail.com/PN)
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
