Atty. Gregorio B. Austral, CPA
The President’s Oath of Office
President-elect Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. will take his oath of office at exactly 12:00 noon on June 30, 2022 at the National Museum in Manila. This is a requirement under Section 5, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution which provides that before the President and the Vice-President will enter on the execution of their office, they shall take the following oath:
“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully and conscientiously fulfil my duties as President of the Philippines, preserve and defend its Constitution, execute its laws, do justice to every man, and consecrate myself to the service of the Nation. So help me God.”
After taking his oath, Marcos, Jr. will be the Philippines’ 17th President and in him vested are the powers of the Executive Department. The President is the Head of State and Head of Government, and functions as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. As chief executive, the President exercises control over all the executive departments, bureaus, and offices.
The President’s Inaugural is not an ordinary occasion for photo opportunity. This is the time when the duties and responsibilities of the head of state are impressed upon him through a solemn ceremony. An oath is said to be the calling upon God to witness that what is said by that person sworn is true. It includes an affirmation and embraces every method whereby the conscience of a witness is obliged to testify to the truth (Judge William F. Burns, Oath of Office, 5 Clev.-Marshall L. Rev. 145 [1956]).
The President is bound by his oath to preserve and defend its Constitution; hence, a culpable violation of the Constitution committed by the President may be a ground for his impeachment. The President is also mandated to execute the laws of the country and do justice to every man. This is a constant reminder to the President that ours is a government of laws and not of men. He must dedicate himself to a sacred purpose of serving the nation, setting aside his personal interests in favor of the welfare of the Filipino people.
After taking his oath of office, the President shall be clothed with an immunity from suit and may only be removed from office through impeachment. Section 2, Article XI of the Constitution provides that the President and other impeachable officers may be removed from office, on impeachment for, and conviction of, culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, or betrayal of public trust.
If the President would only remain true to his oath of office, our country has greater chances of moving forward and achieving our aspirations as a people. With him rests enormous powers to do this. However, a President who governs a divided nation with people putting each other down will see his efforts and honest intentions in vain.
President Marcos, Jr. may not be a perfect president as there are always as many defects in his person as we want to see, but we owe it to the country to unite and rally behind our elected leader. On June 30, 2022, he will call upon God as his witness that he will faithfully and conscientiously fulfill his duties as President of the Philippines, preserve and defend its Constitution, execute its laws, do justice to every man, and consecrate himself to the service of the Nation. In this occasion, let us not just stand as mere spectators. Let us also make our pledge to do something good for our country we call our home.