The Doctrine of Qualified Political Agency
The Doctrine of Qualified Political Agency
executive departments are the alter egos of the President, and, thus, the actions taken by
such heads in the performance of their official duties are deemed the acts of the President
unless the President himself should disapprove such acts. This doctrine is in recognition of the
fact that in our presidential form of government, all executive organizations are adjuncts of a single
Chief Executive; that the heads of the Executive Departments are assistants and agents of the Chief
Executive; and that the multiple executive functions of the President as the Chief Executive are
performed through the Executive Departments. The doctrine has been adopted here out of practical
necessity, considering that the President cannot be expected to personally perform the multifarious
functions of the executive office.
Under the doctrine of constitutional supremacy, if a law or contract violates any norm of the
constitution that law or contract whether promulgated by the legislative or by the executive
branch or entered into by private persons for private purposes is null and void and without any
force and effect. Thus, since the Constitution is the fundamental, paramount and supreme law
of the nation, it is deemed written in every statute and contract
1. Fresh water is a finite and vulnerable resource, essential to sustain life, development
and the environment
2. Water development and management should be based on a participatory approach,
involving users, planners and policy-makers at all levels
3. Women play a central part in the provision, management and safeguarding of water
4. Water has an economic value in all its competing uses and should be recognized as
an economic good
The doctrine states that what is implied in a statute is as much a part thereof as that which is
expressed. Every statute is understood, by implication, to contain all such provisions as may be
necessary to effectuate its object and purpose, or to make effective rights, powers, privileges or
jurisdiction which it grants, including all such collateral and subsidiary consequences as may be
fairly and logically inferred from its terms. Ex necessitate legis. And every statutory grant of
power, right or privilege is deemed to include all incidental power, right or privilege. This is so
because the greater includes the lesser, expressed in the Maxim, in eo plus sit, simper inest et
minus.