• Headlines
  • City/Region News
    • Baguio City
    • CAR
    • Nation
  • Sectoral news
    • Elections
      • Elections – 2022
      • Elections – 2019
    • Agriculture, Fishery and Pets
    • Business & Livelihood
    • Education, Arts & Culture
    • OFW | Migration
    • Environment and Disaster Management
    • Science and Technology
    • Tourism, travel and Events
    • Other Lifestyle
    • Police Beat
  • Health
    • Covid-19 Advisory and Updates
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Timek Ti Umili
  • Sports
  • Other sections
    • Features
    • Photos/Videos
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Words for reflection
    • Sponsored articles
    • Jobs in Baguio
    • Elections
  • Ads & Notices
    • Obituaries
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Directory
    • Contribute
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Contact Us
HERALD EXPRESS | News in Cordillera and Northern Luzon
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Headlines
  • City/Region News
    • Baguio City
    • CAR
    • Nation
  • Sectoral news
    • Elections
      • Elections – 2022
      • Elections – 2019
    • Agriculture, Fishery and Pets
    • Business & Livelihood
    • Education, Arts & Culture
    • OFW | Migration
    • Environment and Disaster Management
    • Science and Technology
    • Tourism, travel and Events
    • Other Lifestyle
    • Police Beat
  • Health
    • Covid-19 Advisory and Updates
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Timek Ti Umili
  • Sports
  • Other sections
    • Features
    • Photos/Videos
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Words for reflection
    • Sponsored articles
    • Jobs in Baguio
    • Elections
  • Ads & Notices
    • Obituaries
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Directory
    • Contribute
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Headlines
  • City/Region News
    • Baguio City
    • CAR
    • Nation
  • Sectoral news
    • Elections
      • Elections – 2022
      • Elections – 2019
    • Agriculture, Fishery and Pets
    • Business & Livelihood
    • Education, Arts & Culture
    • OFW | Migration
    • Environment and Disaster Management
    • Science and Technology
    • Tourism, travel and Events
    • Other Lifestyle
    • Police Beat
  • Health
    • Covid-19 Advisory and Updates
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Timek Ti Umili
  • Sports
  • Other sections
    • Features
    • Photos/Videos
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Words for reflection
    • Sponsored articles
    • Jobs in Baguio
    • Elections
  • Ads & Notices
    • Obituaries
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Directory
    • Contribute
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
HERALD EXPRESS | News in Cordillera and Northern Luzon
No Result
View All Result
Home Columns

Sovereignty Resides in the People

Hent by Hent
March 23, 2022
in Columns
245
0
The Flag
81
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The only constitutional provision that I could recite from memory is: “The Philippines is a democratic and republican State. Sovereignty Resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them.” Section 1, Article II, Constitution of the Philippines. Not just because it is almost poetic but because my professor in political science always emphasised this and it was then of course part of our subject political law in the college of law. This defines our system of government. In a democratic state just like ours, the real sovereign is the people. This is the reason why we have elections wherein those who wish or desire to be elected present themselves to the people during the campaign period in the hope that they get the most number of votes. This is also the reason why the government has a separate agency or even a commission to make sure that the will of the people through the ballot is properly registered or counted. Each election the government as well as the candidates spend billions of pesos in order to fulfil the desire of the people as to who they wish to govern FOR them. An elected official does not govern the people but govern for the people. Government officials are not monarchs or dictators, they are chosen by the people to run the government. And so for me, there are two main functions of the elected government officials: to exercise actual administrative functions and the other, and most important one is the symbolic function. The fact that an elected official occupies a public office tells us that indeed the actual ruler is the people. That is why elected officials from the “lowest” to the “highest” are called or addressed as “honourable” not because the person is being elevated to a privileged position but the manifestation or embodiment of the will or power of the people. 

There are some officials who in their attempt to project humility, refuse to be addressed as “honourable”. To me, this goes against the very principle of our government. The public office being occupied by the official is not owned by him so he can tailor it according to his personal touch or whims. He occupies the office because of the mandate of the people. He is therefore honored by such mandate and he must understand and embrace this principle in order for him to perform his functions to the best of his abilities. Maybe if public officials understand and imbibe this principle then hopefully they can perform their functions and duties with the knowledge that the position they occupy is almost if not entirely sacred. Sacred I say because before assuming office, an elected official makes an oath before the people imploring the help of the Almighty that he may be able to perform his duty. Almost similar to the ordination of a priest who takes a vow of obedience and celibacy among others. The oath makes it sacred because it is made to God or the Almighty and also before the people.

As mandated by the Fair Elections Act and prevailing COMELEC resolutions, I will no longer be able write for this column during the entire duration of the campaign period until the day of the elections. I have filed my candidacy and I am seeking the mandate of my beloved people of Bokod for the position of vice-mayor. May our elections be fair, clean, and peaceful!

Previous Post

CSWD distributes food packs to Covid-19 infected patients in January

Next Post

190k worth of marijuana destroyed in Benguet

Next Post
FRONT PAGE PHOTOS – 2020

190k worth of marijuana destroyed in Benguet

ADVERTISEMENT

Recent News

Nickel Asia receives silver citation for Best Managed Basic Materials category in FinanceAsia Awards

Nickel Asia receives silver citation for Best Managed Basic Materials category in FinanceAsia Awards

June 18, 2025
NGCP’s Mariveles-Hermosa-San Jose 500kV Line now at full 8,000MW capacity

NGCP holds stakeholder consultation to tackle TDP 2025-2050

June 18, 2025
MP conducts PMRB capacity, deputation training 

MP conducts PMRB capacity, deputation training 

June 18, 2025
Atok LGU is regional literacy awardee

Atok to help boost booming tourism industry

June 18, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
HERALD EXPRESS | News in Cordillera and Northern Luzon

Herald Express is a news organization based in Baguio City that has a weekly publication and an online news portal. The newspaper is circulated in the different provinces of Northern Luzon. The name of the fastest-growing publication in town is coined from the word ‘quick messenger’ which is self-explanatory.

Follow Us

Search

No Result
View All Result

© 2024 Baguio Herald Express | Website Design and Development by Neitiviti Studios

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • Headlines
  • City/Region News
    • Baguio City
    • CAR
    • Nation
  • Sectoral news
    • Elections
      • Elections – 2022
      • Elections – 2019
    • Agriculture, Fishery and Pets
    • Business & Livelihood
    • Education, Arts & Culture
    • OFW | Migration
    • Environment and Disaster Management
    • Science and Technology
    • Tourism, travel and Events
    • Other Lifestyle
    • Police Beat
  • Health
    • Covid-19 Advisory and Updates
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Timek Ti Umili
  • Sports
  • Other sections
    • Features
    • Photos/Videos
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Words for reflection
    • Sponsored articles
    • Jobs in Baguio
    • Elections
  • Ads & Notices
    • Obituaries
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Directory
    • Contribute
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Contact Us

© 2024 Baguio Herald Express | Website Design and Development by Neitiviti Studios