Erosion of respect for the law and fear of the rule of law

The wonderful, saintly and eloquent apostle of non-violence, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in addressing the civil rights demonstrators in Alabama said: “Some of you have knives, and I ask you to put them up. Some of you have arms and I ask you to put them up. Get the weapon of non-violence, the breast plate of righteousness, the armor of truth and just keep marching.”

Then some thug came along, a low-down White Supremacist, and shot Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. dead in cold blood. The martyr’s righteousness cause triumphed in the end for the murderer managed to kill the man, but he could not kill the glory of his idea.

However, most persons including women and children are not anxious to become martyrs. They just want to be safe from violence, rape and the prospect of being tortured and murdered, so they prefer that God and the law smite the evil ones and a lightning bolt from heaven or the government, at least, strike down the criminals before they can inflict more harm.

Easier said than done. Today’s society is a picture of an erosion of respect for the law and fear of the rule of law. Senseless killings abound because of the greed of those in power. The killers grow bolder each day because of an ailing judicial system. What’s happening to us?

Why haven’t the killers of Cris Mendez surfaced?  What has the NBI done in the search of these criminals?  What has the University of the Philippines done in summoning their students?  What have the parents done in encouraging their children to speak the truth?  Where has justice gone in this country?

What will happen to Atty. Manuel Hernandez Jr. who killed Edgardo Calesares and Catherine Palmero due to a traffic squabble last week?  Will he hide just like what the others have done?  Will our countrymen continue to encourage these fugitives to keep on running away and not be punished? 

All these criminals get away with murder.  Nowadays, it is easy to just blow helpless victims away with guns.  What’s even more disappointing is that the justice system is so slow – these criminals after posing bail still remain at large and is bound to find another victim. 

That’s the sordid story of the ineptitude of our police and justice system.  It’s the twisting of the law and crafty lawyers who, too often get these criminals off the hook due to human kindness or…..is it human stupidity? 

What must we do to catch and convict these bloody murderers?  The abolition of the death penalty as a capital punishment seemed to have strengthened the courage and the audacity of people committing heinous crimes against the society. So, we are left with nothing but wait in vain for justice to be done. But then again, our case is a long drawn case of “justice delayed is justice denied.”

What about the police? I hope General Razon will stay longer in the force.  If my memory serves me right, former PNP Chief Arturo Lomibao was PNP chief for only a year (from March 2005 – June 2006); Oscar Calderon served also for only a year (July 2006 – Sept. 2007). If you notice, the number of years they have served in the force is just not enough.

The police chief needs at least three years, even four to re-establish a police force, reform it, kick start it into an efficient, honest law enforcement group.  My dad always quipped that “a short term chief is a lame duck ab initio, easily ignored and out-waited by the jerks, crooked cops, goof-offs in the police establishment.

It’s a known fact that too many masterminds and “protectors” of illegal rackets, like  “jueteng,” kidnapping and even murder are cops or ex-cops.  And what about the protectors of the drug lords, even helping them escape from Camp Crame?

We are fighting a losing battle in the drive to root out corruption in our police.  It’s time we have a really tough, uncompromising Top Cop. I hope General Razon will be a tough one to beat.

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When all is said and done, the Filipino people (despite spates of gruesome atrocity and murderous acts of kidnapping and rebellion) are a kind and patient people. In fact, we’re so “kind” that we’ve become, in the eyes of sterner and less forgiving societies abroad, figures of ridicule and fun. 

On the Desperate Housewives… Instead of wasting our saliva trying to refute the accusation, or squander emotion indignantly denying it, let’s just go ahead and do our best.  The important thing to remember is that we must not do anything to please or pander to the critics. Filipinos receive a lot of racial slurs that put us to shame. The trouble is that, too often, we’re shameless. 

Nursing exam leakage, fake diplomas, ZTE scandal, insurgency groups, traffic, justice, politics, election fraud, COMELEC, etc…Now you wonder why the Philippines has a tainted image? 

I don’t write in despair, but in hope. My dad had so much faith in the Filipino people. He said that a nation becomes great by inspiring in its people a sense of moral purpose and a vision of the future. It can only weaken itself by self-flagellation and endless nitpicking.

Manny Pacquiao has once again won the hearts of the people around the world.  He has made our countrymen proud.  What more can we ask for especially in a time when our spirit is being put to the test? This victory is an antidote that should inspire us to do our best in all that we do.

It is time to rise up and stir up stronger feelings of indignation and wrath when evil, crime and corruption rear their ugly heads. And if we must fight, let us fight for the good fight of faith.