The judiciary has spoken loudly and clearly!

Just when we thought that the destabilizers who want to grab political power from a legitimately elected government were about to succeed in putting a great chasm between the Philippine government and the Catholic Church, thanks to the water dispersal incident in Mendiola exactly a week ago, Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales came out publicly to defend the Manila policemen for doing their duty to prevent anarchy. Archbishop Rosales said, "We need a little order… the government cannot exist if there's anarchy and discipline is necessary in order for the country to develop."

Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President Archbishop Fernando Capalla also advised the Bishops involved in the Mendiola incident to reject vengeance and be prepared to forgive and love their enemies. With these two voices of calm and sobriety, we hope to put a closure to this particular Mendiola incident. Until of course the next dispersal.

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While the nation continues to be gripped by political tension, Cebu was relatively calm except for the killing of the three soldiers of the 78th Infantry Division, which is once more in the news because allegedly the military has made Sumon, Tuburan a "no-man's land". Some 50 families have reportedly left town, scared of reprisals by the military.

I recall that there were also 50 members of the New People's Army (NPA) cadres who participated in the killings of the soldiers. Can we therefore say that the 50 families that have fled Sumon, Tuburan are related to the killers? If you ask me, only the guilty ones who have blood in their hands and have something to hide run away from the law. Why then are they scared of being investigated by military intelligence?

Methinks that the military is up to something. I hope it ends with the capture of some of those NPA killers. Incidentally, there is a Prayer Rally today. I just hope that the people attending this rally would truly be prayerful. They can start by praying for the repose of the dead soldiers.

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It seems that the Judiciary has spoken in a voice that reverberated throughout the land with three celebrated decisions. The first is the Supreme Court's giving the E-VAT a clean bill of health; meaning, it is within the bounds of the law and not unconstitutional as believed by its critics. The ball is now in the court of Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA) to implement the E-VAT. We can only suggest to the President to proceed with extreme prejudice in imposing this tax law.

The other equally celebrated decision by the Judiciary came in the form of a court order by Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Soliver Peras last Monday directing Mayor Tomas Osmeña to reopen the South Reclamation Project (SRP) to all motorists. Mayor Osmeña apparently insists that the SRP road was never closed… it was "regulated." Call it semantics if you wish, but indeed, for the people who got SRP passes, this road was never closed. But for the rest of us who didn't get or secure special passes, the SRP is now opened… but with clear warning to be extremely careful when you drive because if by chance you get yourself involved in an accident there, you can only blame yourself for passing in that still unfinished road.

Finally, we should never ignore the decision by the Court of Appeals (CA) declaring as null and void the conviction of Cedrick Devinadera by Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Barili, Judge Ildefonso Suerte. If you recall, Devinadera suddenly surfaced in Barili and confessed to the killing of Alona Bacolod, when all the while, the principal suspect of this crime, her husband Philippine Benevolent Missionary Association (PBMA) Supreme Master Ruben Ecleo Jr. was being tried for this crime.

Well, you don't have to be an expert in legal affairs to know that all this was part of a larger conspiracy to spring the PBMA Supremo out of his legal predicament and out of a life in prison. Thanks also to our friends in the media for their due diligence in searching for the truth behind this caper and now, the CA has taken notice, which I guess should also be a warning to all corrupt judges who use their positions to commit a graver injustice.

Earlier, RTC Judge Leopoldo Cañete declared the Devinadera conviction null and void, which is why this was elevated to the Court of Appeals. But even a person with a cursory idea of our legal rules can tell that Judge Suerte was no longer allowed to make decisions by no less than the Supreme Court for other case he had mishandled. Of course, he paid dearly for this when the Supreme Court fired him from his post. Now if we can only get hold of Devinadera and make him confess as to why he… err confessed?

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