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No need for emergency powers'
By Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star) October 19, 2009

MANILA, Philippines - There is no need for Congress to give President Arroyo emergency powers to rein in prices of oil and basic goods under a state of calamity, Malacañang said yesterday.

Presidential economic spokesman Gary Olivar issued the statement after a lawyers’ group, Social Justice Society (SJS), called on Congress to enact a law that would grant the President emergency powers to control prices of petroleum products during a state of calamity.

“Maybe our lawmakers see some weaknesses in our laws that need to be strengthened so that the President —whether the sitting President or whoever will be the president in the future —can respond faster in times of calamities,” Olivar told the government-owned Radyo ng Bayan.

“But if we look at the current situation, the President is already doing everything she can (to stabilize the situation),” he said.

Mrs. Arroyo earlier lifted her declaration of state of calamity in the Visayas and Mindanao but retained it in Luzon, including Metro Manila, to make sure that prices do not go out of control.

“I don’t think this (call for emergency powers) will reflect on the capability of the President but this may reflect a judgment call on the part of congressmen to strengthen our laws so that our presidents in the future can respond faster,” Olivar said.

He said lawmakers have every right to craft or amend laws as they see fit.

Presidential son and Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo earlier told reporters that his panel, the House committee on energy, was deliberating on amending the Oil Deregulation Law to allow the government to control prices of petroleum products during times of calamities.

The SJS said Congress may delegate emergency powers to the President to allow her to control oil prices in the deadly aftermath of typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng.”

“There should be no fear about the possible abuse of this emergency powers because there would be restrictions in the law to solve the problems that may arise in emergency governance,” Vladimir Cabigao of the SJS said.

“It is important that before we set price limitations on basic commodities, we must first control the prices of petroleum products,” he said.

“It would be futile to control the prices of basic commodities if the prices of petroleum products, which contribute significantly to the determination of the prices of basic commodities, would not be controlled,” he pointed out.

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