Prayers - JAYWALKER by Art A. Borjal

During the past several days, as I watched the parade of prosecution witnesses in the Impeachment Trial of President Estrada, I harbored feelings both of gladness and worry. Glad, that these individuals – out of a desire to bring out the truth and at great risk to their own and their families’ safety – have dared to do what few would dare do. Worry, because they might – in the dead of night or in some dark alley – join the list of "missing persons" or find their bodies in a funeral parlor.

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What these witnesses badly need, to protect them from evil forces, are prayers. Pray that God will shield them and their families from vengeance. Pray that God will pierce the hearts and minds of those whom these witnesses might have tormented, guiding them from the path of vindictiveness. Pray that the day will come when they will finally be able to get out of the protective walls and safehouses they are now forced to stay in.

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Clarissa Ocampo. Emma Lim. Caridad Rodenas. Edgardo Espiritu. Jasmin Banal. Twink Macaraig. Luis "Chavit" Singson. Jay Sonza. Jose Luis Yulo. Carmencita Itchon. Perfecto Yasay. Ruben Almadro. Rufo Colayco. Emeterio Perez. All of them, and all of the other witnesses who will come after them, need everyone’s fervent prayers.

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Our country, too, needs a lot of prayers, We are reaching a crucial crossroads – and the path ahead looks dark and uncertain. Probably, it is only God Who can guide us now to the road that will bring us to safety, away from the deep precipice of disaster.

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Renowned stage/television personality Jeanne Young, one of God’s special angels, recently visited the Holy Land. There, she was saddened by what she saw and felt; a disabled economy and a deep sadness that prevailed during Christmas. "This is ironic, in the Year of the Great Jubilee 2000," rued Jeanne.

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According to Jeanne, life in Bethlehem has virtually stood still, due to the breakdown in the peace process. "Business in the Holy Land is moving at a snail’s pace," she added. Jeanne recalled that when she was there in November of 1999, with a PTV 4 team, there were huge crowds at every shrine. "There were zillions of tourists everywhere. We lined up nose to nose," she said.

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"This December of 2000, Bethlehem, Jesus’ birthplace, was closed. Padlocked. Door after mint green door. You felt like you were in a twilight zone because you knew there were people behind those doors. But you hardly saw them. You also knew that many had fled, committed suicide, or were killed in the fighting between the Israelis and Palestinians," Jeanne recollected.

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"I don’t know what it’s like to live like that: Unresolved large-scale conflict through several generations. Or a false sense of security when conditions in the peace process are observed and normalcy is a pretense," said Jeanne. "I pray for them and for our country. Bombs kill. They destroy business by keeping customers away. But bombs can’t kill religion."

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That is what Jeanne Young saw in Israel. But what she saw reminded her that one cannot kill hope because one cannot kill God. Jeanne’s statement is a universal truth that all Filipinos, especially during this time of crisis, should always remember.

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For readers who may want to know more of Jeanne’s thoughts, get hold of Kerygma, a Catholic inspirational magazine, where she is one of the monthly publication’s columnists. Kerygma is an evangelistic tool, providing Scriptural, practical and orthodox teachings to Catholics. The articles in Kerygma range from the spiritual to entertainment items.

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After a recent throat operation that temporarily rendered him unable to speak, Palawan Gov. Joel T. Reyes must be humming happy tunes these days. The Supreme Court granted his petition, asking that the Commission on Elections be restrained from implementing its decision in the case filed by losing candidate Douglas Hagedorn against Palawan’s missing governor, Salvador Socrates.

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Reyes took over the post after Socrates was declared missing in an airplane accident in Palawan last July 2. However, Reyes’ position became threatened after the Comelec in an en banc resolution dated Jan. 2, 2001 voided Socrates’ victory and ordered Hagedorn’s proclamation as governor. On Jan. 5, lawyers of Reyes and Socrates petitioned the Supreme Court to nullify the Comelec order.

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Before the Supreme Court could act on the petitions, Hagedorn was proclaimed by a reconstituted provincial board of canvassers. The proclamation took place despite legal objections raised by Hagedorn’s oppositors. The oppositors claimed that the Comelec resolution had not yet become final and executory.

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Reyes, though, had temporary relief when the High Court ordered a status quo, which meant that Hagedorn was restrained from taking over the gubernatorial post. Both Hagedorn and Reyes were directed to file their comments within ten days’ notice. This means that Reyes shall remain as governor until the Supreme Court decides the case on its merits, or until it lifts its status quo order.

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The issue before the High Court is this: Can a defeated candidate in an election be proclaimed as the eventual winner after his victorious rival, who had already been serving in office, is disqualified in a later date? The Reyes and Socrates camps have cited an earlier Supreme Court ruling saying that the loser in an election cannot be proclaimed winner even after his victorious rival has been disqualified from holding office. In that particular election, Socrates obtained 146,299 votes as against Hagedorn’s 57,481. The inference is that with his poor showing, Hagedorn can never be considered as the electorate’s choice.

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Here was a similar case involving then Sorsogon Gov. Juan Frivaldo, who was ousted from office while already serving as governor. Frivaldo’s ouster was due to a disqualification case arising from a citizenship issue. The Supreme Court did not allow the defeated candidate, Raul Lee, to assume the governorship. The vice governor took over the post vacated by Frivaldo.

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On his part, Reyzes does not feel bound by the Comelec ruling since he is not a party to the case. He contends that the ruling is null and void, not only because of grave procedural flaws but also because of substantive errors. He claims that the Comelec order for him to vacate his post is a violation of his right to due process. It would be interesting to see how this Palawan case eventually turns out.

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My e-mail address: [email protected]