Brothers and sisters, “When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous, but terror to evildoers.” We are reminded of these words from the book of Proverbs 21:15 the importance of asserting righteousness and justice in our society.
How do we see this in President Duterte’s continuous faith in the former chief of the Bureau of Corrections, Nicanor Faeldon? The President believes Mr. Faeldon is a “straight-edge man”, after all the controversies the former BuCor chief is facing because of the release of convicted illegal-drug traffickers, murderers and rapists. Mr. Faeldon said he merely followed Republic Act 10592, or the good conduct time allowance or GCTA law. But during a Senate hearing, the alleged selling of freedom occurred during the implementation of the GCTA law. Although the law bodes good intentions, BuCor officials under the leadership of Mr. Faeldon abused it. We will wait for the outcome of the Senate hearing in order to know who are responsible for these treacherous actions.
President Duterte always says that he is angry at traitor officials in government, and he has taken many of them out of office even if some have only been involved according to hearsay. But President Duterte seems to completely believe in Mr. Faeldon, even if he has been involved in controversies. Let us remember that he was the Bureau of Customs chief when P6.4 billion worth of shabu entered the country from China. Because of the noise generated by the controversial GCTA, President Duterte will no longer appoint Mr. Faeldon—not because he no longer trust him but because Mr. Faeldon got an offer from a private company.
The Duterte administration is always criticized for its alleged recycling of officials taken out of office due to treason. First, it’s unclear whether their dismissals followed due process. Second, even if these officials have been stained by doubt, they are continuously placed in different agencies of the government as if there’s no one else able to do the job given to them. Is “trust” enough for the President? But if “trust” is the only basis to serve in government, how are we sure “when justice is done…evildoers will fear?”
The Social Teachings of the Church teaches us that justice is a gift of what is rightfully for God and man. This focuses on sustaining our relationship with God and our fellowmen. This means the propagation of justice is about righting the wrongs and holding those sinners responsible, and in this way, the common good is done. In conclusion, the loss of justice and righteousness are obstacles against having proper governance and propagating the common good.
Whatever President Duterte sees in Mr. Faeldon and the others taken out of office only to be appointed back, it is important to know the truth in the issues thrown against them to prevent the same misdeeds. Above all else, President Duterte must demand an explanation, hold them accountable, and correct all the wrongs.
Brothers and sisters, advocating justice is only one part of the moral aspects of leadership. Government officials are supposed to be examples of embodying justice. Because, like what Saint Augustine said, governance without justice is an organized crime.
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