Emergency, emergency!

Finally, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has declared, through Executive Order 110, an emergency – a state of emergency, a “national energy emergency.” His 2,788-word EO, dated March 24, 2026, also authorizes an UPLIFT for the people – Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food and Transport.

EO 110 comes 25 days after the Iran war erupted, causing massive dislocation, globally, in nearly every facet of our life. The EO’s wordiness should make up for its delay; its 2,788 words are 13 percent of the wordage of the 21,660-word Philippine Constitution, which basic law is good for a century or three generations.

Under the Constitution, the word “emergency” appears five times; “martial law,” four times. The Charter limits martial law to 60 days, unless extended by Congress.

A national emergency, it seems, has no time limit. EO 110 is good for one year, “unless extended or lifted by the President.” In that sense, an emergency is better than martial law. An emergency also sounds civilized and democratic. Martial law evokes combat troopers knocking at your door or flashlights pointed at your face at checkpoints (I have experienced it a few times). An emergency, however, may be good for one full tank of diesel at P200 per liter. Diesel becomes so expensive you simply stop using it.

Will diesel scale heights of P200 per liter? “It’s a distinct possibility” – to use the words of BBM when asked about aviation fuel becoming so expensive or so scarce jet planes have to be grounded.

Government economists have painted the worst scenario of the Iran war – crude oil per barrel at $200 for six months – Scenario 5 (S5) in government contingency planning. There is a one-to-one correlation between the price of crude in dollars per barrel and the Manila price of diesel in pesos per liter. If crude oil hits $200 per barrel, you can bet your devalued pesos (incidentally, $1 has hit P60.10) local diesel price will hit P200 per liter.

When diesel tops P200 per liter, expect severe shortages of nearly everything – food, medicines, public transport and any product or service that requires fuel, electricity or energy.

Long lines, queues, job losses (up to 750,000, per DEPD), even rioting, will be a distinct possibility. A million more Filipinos will join the ranks of the poor, each earning just P100 a day. “The likelihood that Scenario 5 could happen is, at this point, quite low,” assures Economic Planning Secretary Arsi Balisacan. S5 “could bring us double-digit inflation which we never had in the last couple of years.” And economic growth will be cut by 1.5 to two percentage points, Arsi frets.

Yet, EO 110 provides no penalties nor sanctions against those who violate laws – on price gouging, overcharging, profiteering, cartel or monopoly pricing, during the 360-day emergency.

Under the Constitution, the President has awesome emergency powers. “In times of national emergency, when the public interest so requires, the State may, during the emergency and under reasonable terms prescribed by it, temporarily take over or direct the operation of any privately owned public utility or business affected with public interest.” (Section 17, Article XII, National Economy and Patrimony)

“The State may, in the interest of national welfare or defense, establish and operate vital industries and, upon payment of just compensation, transfer to public ownership utilities and other private enterprises to be operated by the Government.” (Section 18, Art. XII)

“The State shall regulate or prohibit monopolies when the public interest so requires. No combinations in restraint of trade or unfair competition shall be allowed.” (Section 19, Art. XII)

Curiously, these constitutional provisions are not mentioned as among the Whereases of EO 110. The government can take over your business if you are a bad boy in times of emergency.

At the Senate PROTECT committee hearing March 24 attended by eight Cabinet members, Sen. Rodante Marcoleta wondered why gasoline and diesel prices had to be increased immediately and repeatedly when supply is supposed to be good for 53 days. The International Energy Agency suggests only 30 days of supply.  Department of Energy Secretary Sharon Garin replied something to the effect “that’s how life is.” She doesn’t know. Earlier, Garin bragged she secured 300,000 barrels of diesel, arriving next week. But the country consumes 200,000 barrels a day; so 300,000 barrels are good for a day and half. Joke, di ba?

By the way, PROTECT is an emergency committee formed by the Senate just last week. It stands for Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy. It’s chaired by Sen. Win Gatchalian, who is a businessman and thus understands economics and the law of supply and demand.

So now the Senate has PROTECT, the President has UPLIFT. In the House of Representatives, they have IMPEACH. UPLIFT and PROTECT are supposed to handle the economic and livelihood side of governance during an emergency. IMPEACH handles political instability (before the next presidential election) which is what happens when the super corrupt cannot be punished nor made accountable (even just to explain; Ma’am Sara Duterte, please naman, explain why potato chips or ensaymadas are entitled to millions of tax money) or when the world’s worst energy emergency is incompetently managed.

The March 24 Senate PROTECT hearing, said Sen. Gatchalian, seeks to establish “a national consensus for a clear, coordinated and comprehensive contingency plan to address the socio-economic crisis and prevent stagflation of the economy.”

Did you know there were one million Filipino OFWs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – or 13 Filipinos per square km, making UAE the greatest concentration of Filipinos overseas. UAE has been devastated by Iran’s bombing, displacing hundreds of thousands of Filipinos.

Can UPLIFT help these Pinoys? Can the Senate PROTECT their future?

Reading to them EO 110 which carries no punishments (unlike the Riot Act) won’t do.

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