CHAPTER 9: MANAGING CRISES AND NATIONAL EMERGENCIES

ANNOTATION

The measures set out in this NSP stress the importance of an effective,
integrated, and collaborative crisis and emergency planning, management, and
response system. This ensures that the Government can respond quickly and
effectively to any large-scale crisis and emergency situations, whether natural
or man-made. (1)

In such situations, the President may exercise his constitutionally

sanctioned powers to determine priorities for funding or resource allocations
and to take emergency measures, including Government takeover or
requisition of facilities, properties, and materials, as he may deem necessary
for national security.(2)

The President may also exercise other emergency powers as provided for
by existing laws, or such other powers as may be authorized by Congress, in
times of national emergency or grave civil disturbance. (2)

Emergency Power Provisions in the 1987 Constitution

Like most constitutions in the world today, the Philippines’ 1987 Constitution
also contains provisions concerning national emergencies: (3)
The first two provisions are collectively called the emergency power clauses of
the constitution. According to the Supreme Court, Congress is ultimately the
repository of emergency powers. However, given that it may not be possible or
practicable for Congress to meet and exercise its powers in times of a national
emergency, the constitution authorizes Congress to grant emergency powers to
the President, subject to the following conditions: (3) (4)
 There must be a war or other emergency.
 The delegation must be for a limited period only.
 The delegation must be subject to such restrictions as the Congress may
prescribe.
 The emergency powers must be exercised to carry out a national policy
declared by Congress.
The third provision outlines the authority of the President as the Commander-
in-Chief. According to the Supreme Court, the three powers included here form
a sequence of “graduated powers” from the most to the least benign 1) power to
‘call out’ the armed forces; 2) power to suspend the writ of habeas corpus; and,
3) power to declare martial law. But in the exercise of the latter two powers, the
constitution requires the concurrence of two conditions, namely, an actual
invasion or rebellion, and that public safety requires the exercise of such
power. (5)
When magnitude……(UN-OCHA)..For this purpose, prior and constant
coordination with UN-OCHA will be pursued to ensure seamless cooperation
and coordination during emergency or disaster situations. This also applies in
situations where the Philippines would extend assistance to other countries in
distress. (8)

After diagram…. The 5Ps are embodied in the National Crisis

Management Core Manual and the Practical Guide which were operationalized
by Executive Order Number 82 of 2012. The EO aimed to fill up the gaps in
our crisis management and response systems, Inspired by the best practices
abroad. (10)

Meanwhile….It was signed in August 2016 by the Secretary of National

Defense and Chairperson, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Council, and the National Security Adviser and Director General, NSC to
empower all emergency personnel at the local level to manage crisis situations
even before they actually materialize. (11)

THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT EARLY AND LATEST RESPONSE TO THE

COVID-19 CRISIS
This law was the legal basis for his Presidential Proclamation No. 922 issued 8
March declaring a state of public health emergency throughout the country
and ordering the lockdown of the National Capital Region to stop the spread of
the coronavirus. The entire country is in a state of health emergency until
President Duterte says otherwise. (13)
This was the legal basis for Presidential Proclamation No. 929 issued 16 March
declaring a nationwide state of calamity for 6 months and expanding the
coverage of the lockdown to encompass the biggest island of the country,
Luzon, which is also home to about 57 million Filipinos, accounting for more
than half of the national population. (14)
Latest responses…..All these are part and parcel of the National Action Plan
Phase 2 of the Philippine government’s response and mitigation efforts against
the coronavirus pandemic. (22)