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Let go and let GraceBy Arvin Antonio Ortiz

A Makati-based company listed in JobStreet.com is looking for a ChiefOperation Ocers !COO". #he applicant m$st be a %rad$ate of B$siness

Administration preferably &ith an MBA or other grad$ate st$dies' &ith atleast () years of e*perience as COO or %eneral Manager of a sizeablecompany &ith m$lti-branch operations nation&ide' &ith strong analytical+leadership+ and interpersonal skills' &ith e*cellent oral and &rittencomm$nication skills' highly res$lts and achievement-oriented' and &ith highdegree of integrity.

,n ()+ the /hilippines &ill be looking for a ne& /resident &ho &ill lead $sfor better or for &orse. 0hat are the re1$irements2 3nder the 456/hilippine Constit$tion+ the candidate for the presidency m$st be 7a nat$ral-born citizen of the /hilippines+ a registered voter+ able to read and &rite+ at

least forty years of age on the day of the election+ and a resident of the/hilippines for at least ten years immediately preceding s$ch election.8

Obvio$sly+ the president of this co$ntry is more important than a companyCOO. #he president is the co$ntry9s Chief :*ec$tive. ;e &ields far morepo&ers and inc po&ersen$merated in the Constit$tion.

%iven the vast po&ers a president &ields+ &hy are the re1$irements veryminimal2 A friend of mine decried that &ith these re1$irements even atambay can become a president.

Of co$rse+ the &isdom behind this is that in a democratic society+ it is thepeople &ho decide the >tness of any presidential candidate+ for eachenfranchised citizen is a particle of pop$lar sovereignty and the $ltimateso$rce of established a$thority.

#h$s in electing the co$ntry9s ne*t president+ the people+ not the co$rt+

?$dge best. ;ad the Constit$tion decreed other&ise+ it &o$ld have providedsti=er re1$irements.

@o& there are fo$r dis1$ali>cation cases against %race /oe. All are based onthe gro$nd that she does not meet the citizenship re1$irement. , think theysho$ld be decided the &ay the cases of onald Allan /oe !more pop$larlykno&n as /J"+ %race9s father+ &ere decided.

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A little over a decade ago+ /J ran for the presidency. After he >led hiscerti>cate of candidacy+ three cases &ere bro$ght against him+ all1$estioning his citizenship. 3ltimately+ the S$preme Co$rt r$led for /J!Tecson v. COMELEC".

,n his separate conc$rring opinion+ J$stice /$no said+ 7%iven theindecisiveness of the votes of the members of this Co$rt+ the better policyapproach is to let the people decide &ho &ill be the ne*t /resident. or onpolitical 1$estions+ this Co$rt may err b$t the sovereign people &ill not. #o bes$re+ the Constit$tion did not grant to the $nelected members of this Co$rtthe right to elect in behalf of the people.8

egal e*perts say it is legally defensible that /oe is a nat$ral-born ilipino. ,f/oe9s opponents think she doesn9t deserve to be the president+ &hy not letthe people decide thro$gh their votes.

,nstead of harang$ing /oe &ith dis1$ali>cation cases+ let her r$n. #he leasther opponents co$ld do is sho& the voters &hy she9s no better alternative+so they can make an informed choice.