Roque defends constitutionality of Duterte directive for Cabinet men to snub Senate probe

By Prince Golez

Only the Supreme Court can rule a presidential directive unconstitutional, according to Malacañang.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the statement after several senators and the Philippine Bar Association, Inc. asserted that the memorandum of President Rodrigo Duterte directing executive department officials to ignore the Senate hearing into the government’s procurement of Covid-19 supplies violates the Constitution.

“Ang tanging makapagsasabi lang po na unconstitutional ‘yan ay Korte Suprema at iyan naman po ay katungkulan ng Korte Suprema,” Roque said during a televised Cabinet meeting Wednesday.

“At sa ating batas po, lahat po ng ginagawa ng mga iba’t ibang sangay ng gobyerno enjoys the presumption of regularity. Sapagkat pupuwede po nilang pulaan ‘yan, it is still presumed legal, constitutional, unless the Supreme Court has declared it to be so,” he added.

The spokesman also expressed confidence that when Duterte’s memo reaches the high court, it would stand the test of constitutionality.

“Bakit po? Hindi po natin hinihingi sa Senado na itigil ang imbestigasyon. Malinaw po ang sabi ninyo, you can investigate Pharmally all you want. Ang ayaw niyo lang po ay sa panahon ng pandemya, ‘yung mga pinakaimportanteng mga miyembro ng Gabinete na may katungkulan laban dito sa Covid-19, nauubos ang panahon doon sa imbestigasyon,” said Roque.

He also cited the Supreme Court ruling on the case of Neri vs Senate Blue Ribbon Committee affirming the invocation of executive privilege by the petitioner to avoid

testifying on his conversations with then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on the multi-million dollar national broadband network contract.

“Kung nagkaroon po ng pag-utos ang Presidente sa kanyang mga alter egos sa mga miyembro ng Gabinete, at hindi na po dumalo sa paghi-hearing ng Senado, hindi po sila pupuwedeng mai-cite in contempt dahil obligasyon po ng mga miyembro ng Gabinete na sumunod sa utos ng kanilang presidente. At kung sila po ay isa-cite in contempt, iyan naman po will also violate the equality between the three branches of government,” the secretary furthered.

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Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)