Abstract:
Commander in Chief, Head of State, Head of the Executive Branch. These are the most important among the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s functions expressly mentioned in the 1987 Philippine Constitution, under which she may issue at least some executive issuances in the exercise of her constitutional and statutory delegated powers. Power over the military, over 85 million Filipinos and over the most powerful offices and agencies in the Philippine government. When Arroyo is lawfully exercising one of these functions, the scope of her power to issue written orders is exceedingly broad. In short, she may issue or execute whatever written directives, orders, guidelines, proclamations she deems appropriate. She has broad discretion to use written orders when she is lawfully exercising one of his constitutional or statutorily delegated powers but it is very much true that any broad power or discretion can be abused. Arroyo’s definition of appropriateness is way too different from us. For nine years, she had shown this definition, her own definition. For Arroyo it is appropriate that, to keep her critics silent, she would issue an executive order to launch legal offensives against them so her armed puppies could ‘legally’ grab them and put into jail; for her, it is appropriate that to appease international institutions disturbed with the alarming condition of the country human rights situation, she would create a task force, commission or any group alike, through and administrative order, to address the said problem but would not in anyway help in its solutions; that to keep herself in power and fear of being overthrown by her victim masses, she would declare a state of national emergency even a martial law through her presidential proclamations, she would accuse anyone, who dares to challenge her and her administration, of rebellion. For her, what is appropriate is anything that would keep her safe in the Palace, away from her critics and shielded from accusations. This thesis would thoroughly discuss seven of her executive issuances she deemed appropriate to address human rights violations in the country, to keep her critics from proving right their charges of her involvement in some of the biggest scandals during her term, and to keep herself seated until her term expires. Hopefully, when you’re done reading this, you would clearly understand Arroyo’s own definition of appropriateness.
