Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada on Monday said Memorandum Circular No. 52, which provides for the recital of the Bagong Pilipinas hymn and pledge, is neither illegal nor irregular.
He noted that it aims to foster a culture of good governance and
progressive leadership across all government levels.
He noted this is similar to singing the Senate, school and university hymns to remind Filipinos about unity.
For his part, Sen. Francis Tolentino said this is reminiscent of Martial Law.
The lawmaker also wants to know if the singing of this hymn would be required of the executive branch only or all separate branches of the government, including the legislature and judiciary.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said on Monday that an executive order enjoining all agencies of government and educational institutions to sing the Bagong Pilipinas Hymn and recite the new pledge during flag ceremonies is not sufficient, citing the need for a law.
“I believe a law is needed in order to authorize that,” he said.
He proposed that the Executive Branch should submit a bill containing those ideas (to sing a new song and recite a new pledge) to amend the existing law(s) governing the National Anthem, Pledge, and Flag Raising ceremonies.
Since this involves the way of thinking of the people, Pimentel insisted that such a mandate must emanate from the people’s chosen representatives – their legislators.
He also noted that the Memorandum Circular involves State Universities and Colleges (SUCs).
“The students therein are not even government employees. They all observe the established flag ceremony under existing law,” also said the senator.
Bagong Pilipinas is the governance brand of the Marcos administration. It aims to achieve deep transformation in society and emphasizes the government’s commitment to undertake policy reforms.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline Marcos’ mandate for ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ hymn and pledge requires legislative approval
