Significant day

Some events have special significance on people who have set their hearts on searching for truth and justice which are the necessary ingredients of peace. Today is one such special day because it marks the birth of The Philippine STAR 24 years ago, the newspaper that has served as the guiding light of Filipinos longing for a society where truth always prevails. Through the years The STAR has really shone brightly even during those times when our country and people seem to be groping in the dark because of lack of transparency in the government. Somehow it has managed to steadfastly live up to its slogan boldly emblazoned on its masthead that “truth shall prevail”, by providing openings to the path of truth.

But this day is more special to me because it is The STAR that gave me a break more than 23 years ago, in pursuing a “writing” career aside from engaging in the practice of law which has also something to do with the quest for truth and justice in another venue. I really owe a lot to this newspaper especially to its kind and gentle Founder, the late Betty Go-Belmonte who gave me this opportunity to help and reach out to so many people by sharing with them whatever knowledge God gave me in my chosen profession; and who allowed me to start writing alongside such heavyweights in journalism as Maximo Soliven, Louie Beltran and Art Borjal. Max, Louie and Art are all gone now but they all left a legacy of excellence and high ethical standards in this noble profession.

Writing in this prestigious newspaper is indeed a golden opportunity to serve others especially those who have less in life, and to stamp out at the same time the demeaning impression that lawyers are a bunch of fibbers who can make wrong appear right and right appear wrong or to complicate the simple and simplify the complicated.

In helping people who may get entangled with the law by a discussion of their rights and duties under existing statutes and court rulings, I always try to use simple terms easily understood by the common man guided by the following precepts:

First, that laws enacted by men are subject to the limitations, weaknesses and errors inherent in every human being so that what is legal is not always right or good. Laws which will cause a serious wrong should therefore not be used or invoked.

Second, that even if the law is good, it is to be used only to bring out the truth and promote justice with the understanding that “it is aimed not at good men but the lawless and the unruly”. So that even if there is a presumption of innocence until proven guilty, for example, such presumption should not be used to bury the truth and enable the guilty to go scot free.

And finally, that all laws are based on one simple precept so aptly expressed by St. Paul in his letter to the Romans as contained in the Scriptures: “…The Commandment you shall not steal, you shall not covet and any other commandment there may be are all summed up in this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love never wrongs the neighbor hence love is the fulfillment of the law.”

On this 24th anniversary of our “Star”, special congratulations and best wishes for continued success should therefore be extended to the people who have steered it to greater heights in the field of mass media of communications especially to its very able, efficient, energetic and dedicated management team headed by its President/CEO Miguel G. Belmonte, Editor-in-Chief Isaac G. Belmonte, Executive Editor and one of my favorite columnists, Ana Marie Pamintuan, Managing Editor Antonio F. Katigbak and Op-Ed Section Editor Ramon M. Lim.

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Note: Books containing compilation of my articles on Labor Law and Criminal Law (Vols. I and II) are now available. Call Tel. 7249445.

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E-mail at: [email protected]