WHILE it is not yet confirmed who was responsible for the Davao night market bombing, one fact is undeniable—the Philippines is at war. The Republic of the Philippines is at war with illegal drug syndicates. The people of the Philippines are at war with corrupt government officials, from big town mayors to barangay executives in some far away province. The Philippine government is at war with criminal gangs masquerading as freedom fighters for a noble cause.
During times of war there are always going to be those who turn against their own country and its government. Some Filipinos collaborated with the Japanese occupying forces because they genuinely believed that the Japanese offered a better alternative to colonial American rule. Others did what they thought was necessary to survive.
However, the response of some quarters in the wake of the Davao bombing by taking it as an opportunity to gloat because it happened in the hometown of President Duterte was done for the most meaningless and pathetic of all reasons—politics.
Still unable to come to terms with the fact that their chosen candidate lost in the election, these people danced on the graves of the victims just to push their political agenda. Freedom of opinion and speech must be inviolate for a free society to exist. However, the rules change when a nation is at war.
In time of peace, there cannot be an act of treason. While there is peace, there are no traitors. Treason is a crime that is reserved only in time of war, and we tend to think of a treasonous act as one that tries to overthrow the government. But there are clear legal elements to an act of treason. Treason can only be committed by a Filipino citizen or resident.
The second element is the existence of a public enemy, to which a traitor gives allegiance. The third element is the overt act by which treason is manifested. Treason may be committed in one of two ways: by levying war or by giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Any act that deliberately strengthens or tends to strengthen enemies of the Philippines, or that weakens or tends to weaken the power of the government to resist and attack such enemies is characterized as aid and comfort.
Do the comments that come close to applauding the bombing as a slap in the face of the president constitute treason? It really does not matter. What matters is that petty politics is more important to some people than the safety and lives of fellow Filipinos. This was an opportunity to be united as a nation against those elements that would do us all harm. Unfortunately, some are too selfish to put the nation before their own agenda. Perhaps that is also a form of treason.
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This part I love so much, “Do the comments that come close to applauding the bombing as a slap in the face of the president constitute treason? It really does not matter. What matters is that petty politics is more important to some people than the safety and lives of fellow Filipinos. This was an opportunity to be united as a nation against those elements that would do us all harm. Unfortunately, some are too selfish to put the nation before their own agenda. Perhaps that is also a form of treason.”