the president executes policy consistent with the contitution, which need not have new legislation. if it does, its expected to work with the legislature to effect said policy.

so definitely, a platform, or plans, are necessary for the president.

right?

You should look at the annotated version of the Constitution, there’s a good one at National Bookstore that describes the powers of the President more fully.

The President doesn’t just execute law, he or she also causes laws to be made — although the President isn’t really involved in the legislative process. That’s why he or she usually has a legislative agenda and there is also a LEDAC.

This is why, also, we usually see news articles with the President asking for the passage of one law or another.

So… Hmmm…

Instead, the Constitution lays out the laws that define the limits and boundaries of what he (as well as everyone else in the country) is allowed and not allowed to do.

By “preserve and defend its Constitution”, it means that the President does not seek to disregard it.

Think of how Chess Players play the game of chess. They are all expected TO FOLLOW THE RULES OF CHESS, not invent any new rules in the middle of their games.

Still, each Chess Player has a unique style of playing chess, and may have a different game plan according to who their opponents are… (If they know they have opponents who like to use particular pieces like knights, they might have a different game plan that will counter that strategy)

The strategies or “game plans” may be different. But the RULES of chess are always the same.

As for a President, a President who feels that the global economic trends require that the Philippines move in a particular direction, might decide that certain older laws need to be changed and superseded by newer laws more relevant to the newer global situation. It is because of this that amendments to the Constitution may be necessary.

Still, laws/rules are different from plans/platforms. And that’s why Platforms are necessary even if there already is a Constitution.

Thanks for making me know a little bit more about how important platforms are. For the moment, I’m more than willing to admit I am wrong and I operate on (in retrospect) grounds rooted too much on the theoretical without considering the practical, which is something that you guys have explained fully that I don’t think a rejoinder to this entry is necessary. I made a very serious mistake.