Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez exhorts members of the Philippine Constitution Association (PHILCONSA) to remain vigilant in defending the Constitution. In his message during the commemoration of Constitution Day at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City Monday night Romualdez—who is also PHILCONSA President-- emphasized the importance of adherence to the Constitution, saying no leader should be above the law.
SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez today emphasized the importance of adherence to the Constitution, saying no leader should be above the country’s Charter and its laws.
He drove home the message in his remarks before the Philippine Constitution Association (PHILCONSA), of which he is president, during their gathering at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City Monday night for the commemoration of Constitution Day.
The event was attended by PHILCONSA Chairman and former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno, jurists, and lawyers, with Chairman George Garcia of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as guest of honor and speaker.
“The Constitution is not a passive document; it commands obedience, it imposes limits, and most importantly, it demands accountability. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that no institution, no office, and no leader is ever beyond the reach of the law,” Speaker Romualdez said.
“We have seen how the Constitution, though written in ink, is tested by the tides of politics, governance, and power. It is resilient, but it is not indestructible. It relies on men and women – lawyers, jurists, scholars, legislators – who believe that no ambition is above the law, and no convenience justifies its disregard,” he said.
He said a constitution “is the soul of a nation.”
“It is the bedrock upon which governments rise and fall, the covenant that binds leaders to their duty, and the shield that protects the rights of every citizen,” he added.
Speaker Romualdez told his fellow constitutionalists that as they celebrate Constitution Day, “we do not simply commemorate a document—we reaffirm a legacy, a duty, and a cause that demands vigilance from all of us.”
He noted that PHILCONSA “has stood for decades as the guardian of constitutionalism in our country, a sentinel against any erosion of the principles that define our Republic.”
He said it was fitting that they were joined in observing Constitution Day by Comelec Chairman Garcia, “a man whose work is directly tied to the preservation of our democratic process.”
“Electoral integrity is not just a matter of legal compliance; it is the lifeblood of democracy. When elections lose credibility, governments lose legitimacy. The duty that rests on the shoulders of Comelec is immense, and Chairman Garcia’s leadership comes at a time when trust in institutions is constantly under scrutiny,” he said.
He said the role is constitutionalists “is to ensure that the rule of law does not become mere rhetoric.”
“Let this gathering serve as a renewal of that commitment. As we honor the legacy of those who framed our fundamental law, let us also recognize our obligation to defend it, interpret it with integrity, and apply it without fear or favor,” he said.
He thanked PHILCONSA members, jurists and lawyers “for your dedication to this cause.”
“The Constitution endures not because it is written, but because we, as its defenders, refuse to let it be ignored,” he said.
