Emergency powers for Arroyo not being considered - adviser

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang on Friday insisted President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is not considering emergency powers to address the food and power crises – at least for now. In an interview on dzBB radio, Chief Presidential Legal Adviser Sergio Apostol allayed fears of certain sectors, saying the government is still able to address the situation without special powers for the President. He said such a measure is not even being discussed in Malacañang. Apostol noted that government interventions to lower the prices of rice, fuel and electricity have so far been enough to address the situation. "As of today the government can still cope with the problems of the nation, why should we have emergency powers?" Apostol said in an interview on dzBB radio. "Walang pag-uusap diyan, hindi pinag-uusapan yan. Wala. Kasi sa ngayon kaya pa ng gobyerno, ginagawa ng gobyerno sina-subsidize ang mahirap (We are not talking about it. For now, the government is still able to address the situation, and we are able to subsidize the poor)," he added. Speculations of emergency powers stemmed from a new Executive Order creating a National Food and Security Council, which allows "emergency powers" to deal with food and energy crises. Apostol branded as "imagination" speculations that the order is a prelude to emergency rule. "Sobra naman yang imagination ng tao nagsasabi paghahanda ng emergency power (It's too much a figment of the imagination to say it is a stepping stone to emergency power)... She considers that all sectors should be consulted and advices should be solicited what to do at this time of high prices of oil and food," Apostol said. Apostol even said he is not in favor of granting emergency powers to President Arroyo and said he will be the first to oppose such moves, at least for now. "Tutol ako sa ngayon (I'm against emergency powers, for now)," he said. Earlier in the day, former Budget Sec. Benjamin Diokno twitted the possible use of emergency powers as decreed in a new executive order creating a National Food and Energy Council. Under Section 6 of the Executive Order, "the council shall advice the President and Congress if and when the exercise of emergency presidential powers shall be required to address food and energy problems." "Ibig sabihin di talaga natutukan. Bakit bibigyan ng emergency powers, nakalimutan ang sector? Ang fertilizer nanakaw? In other words, ang solution dito walang quick fixes dito. Dapat magprisinta siya ng programa na kailangan at gawin natin. Hindi yung ora-orada ngayon bibigyan ng cash ang mga ano (All this means the government was napping. Why ask for emergency powers only now, why allow fertilizer to be stolen? The solution does not lie in quick fixes but in a properly implemented program. Neither does the solution lie in cash dole-outs)," Diokno said. Diokno also warned that Malacañang's subsidy spree may plunge the country deeper into debt. - GMANews.TV