The House minority bloc is seeking compassion for ousted former Chief Justice Renato Corona. Some people are even suggesting we should forgive him, and not be vindictive. Where is our sense of right and wrong, of value and integrity? Where is our sense of equality, fairness, and justice?
For the magnitude of his crime, made worse because he was the highest magistrate of the nation, he deserves the severest punishment in the books.
Compassion? Why. He did that to himself without compassion for his position, for the Supreme Court as an institution of justice, for his profession, himself and his family, and above all, for the country and the Filipino people!
Forgiveness? What he committed was a grave crime and he deserves no forgiveness and exemption. The hundreds of thousands who are in jail for lesser crimes must first be forgiven and granted freedom before Corona. Criminals must pay for their crime. Isn’t that the law in all civilized nations on earth?
Vindictiveness? Trying fairly in our judicial system and punishing those found guilty of crime beyond a reasonable doubt is not vindictiveness. It is justice! Except perhaps for some politicians who are so confused themselves about what is right and wrong. Even children in the kindergarten can easily see the distinct difference between the two.
Should the Filipinos be compassionate to the Arroyos, and to other officials and citizens who have committed a crime, forgive them for what they did to our people and society, and drop all charges, and let them go scotfree?
Should the good people of the world be compassionate to and forgive Hitler and his kind, who had committed crimes against humanity in order for the judicial system not to be perceived as vindictive? The scale may be different but the same principle applies. We are Christians and should be compassionate and forgive and Filipinos are not vindictive people.
Yes, we are Christians, but the Ten Commandments are a testament to God’s version of crime and punishment. This Code does not say you may commit adultery or kill or steal, and we, the people, will be compassionate and forgive you and all those others who will follow your example, because we are not a vindictive people. Even the cavemen had their laws.
What have these pervasive traits, depraved, and masochistic way of thinking brought our nation and our people? Repeated abuses from our elected officials, epidemic of hunger, hopelessness, desperation among the poor languishing in the gutter of poverty, who go to bed at night with empty stomach, but worse, with empty dreams.
If we do not send criminals to jail, they will rule our society....and that is what is happening now. Let's not be naive!
Only criminals and those with perverted sense of propriety and justice could be against President Noynoy Aquino’s “daang matuwid.”
Personally, for trivial and petty matters, I would choose kindness anytime over correctness. Serious crimes, I leave to our justice system.
It’s time for us Filipinos to wise up and protect our personal and national dignity, integrity, honor, and justice itself, otherwise the whole world will think we are a bunch of stupid and masochistic idiots.
Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS
Chairman, Filipino United Network - USA
www.philipSchua.com
scalpelpen@gmail.com