Recently, Pope Francis accidentally uttered an Italian swear word
(the F-word kuno) during his weekly blessing ceremony in St. Peter’s
Square.
Mistakes and accident happen. A very human mistake, one said, and the world moved on.
The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) should give dismissed cadet
Jeff Aldrin Cudia his diploma and transcript of records so he could
start a new life in the civilian world, according to Muntinlupa Rep.
Rodolfo Biazon, a former AFP chief of staff who headed the PMA at one
time. But, would-have-been salutatorian Cudia should forget about
serving in the military given the circumstances, Pong Biazon said. Cudia
had been dismissed from the PMA after an honor committee found him
guilty of violating the academy’s Honor Code.
“I would agree to him being given the diploma so that he can start
anew, but I would advise he should not anymore stay in the service,
complete his resignation, because he will be a leper out there, Biazon
told a press briefing yesterday.” (PDI, Mar. 19, 2014, p. A9, col. 1).
Why not let him graduate and then assign him to Scarborough or Ayungin. I
believe in Second Chances even for potential Dirty Dozen types. And in
the Cudia case, was there really proportionality in degrading and
destroying him in his youth?
Now, what may (Pong Biazon and) BIR Chief Kim Henares be in violation
of in our own Constitution in her scare and shame campaign? Sec. 11 of
Art. II of the Constitution says: “The state values the dignity of every
human person and guarantees full respect for human rights.” The Bill of
Rights has language against “degrading punishment.” The Universal
Declaration of Human Rights stresses respect for “human dignity,” in its
Preamble and elsewhere.
In the Court of Appeals (CA) Spray Paint case decision of January 26,
2000, in CA G.R. No. SP No. 47946, the 25-page decision in ringing
tones found against Hizzoner in spray-painting the homes of suspected
substance abusers. Narohomsalic v. Lim did not get to the Supreme Court
which refused to review it on a flimsy technicality (his lawyer did not
give a copy of the petition to the CA, which probably would not have
read it with all it had to do; anyway, respondents’ lawyers would be
there. Maybe the erring lawyer could have been chided, fined or
suspended, but take on the case).
MABINI was one of the 15 petitioners-appellants in Marohomsalic.
Cong. Pong, I see nothing wrong with being a leper. In our youth, in
Pasig, we had Bertong Ketong, living in the kabukiran. He made for our
barkada exquisite bamboo swords. He had a wife and daughter, who did not
contract leprosy. When in the Senate, a constituent called my attention
to my thoughtless use of “like a leper.” I considered myself told and
vowed not to degrade sick people again.
But now, I have another headache. US accessing our military bases. I
voted NO on September 16, 1991, removing foreign troops from our soil
after more than 400 years. But, this is a 9/11 world and before
commenting on it in light of our contemporary national interests I’d
like to see the text of the agreement but better to involve sana some of
the twelve Malevolent/Magnificent Senators who voted NO on September
16, 1991. Certainly, Pong Biazon should be consulted, along with Senator
Miriam, among others.
I note that hundreds of South Korean soldiers have been here for some
time and will stay up to the end of the year, to help deal with the
damage Yolanda has wrought in Eastern Visayas. No static at all.
And, given 9/11, I no longer look before sleeping under the bed for Americans, who may be busy looking for Osama Bin Laden Jrs.
The Executive should not stop with Pong. Never mind Paos and Laos me
with my HurryCane but nariyan po sina Butz Aquino, Manong JPE, Hizzoner
Erap, Tito Guingona, Manong Ernie, Orly Mercado, Nene Pimentel, Bobby
Tañada and Vic Ziga, nabubuhay. Kuya Teroy Laurel is gone. The ancient
fire may be gone but there could be occasional old sparks even from
smoldering embers. Last I saw Erap he sounded like his hormones are
still raging, like those of the new bar passers.
Kudos to all of them but while this is a free country, I hope some of
them will remain true to the driving dream that sent them to law school
in the first place, to help give our people a better life.
It may well be that a lawyer’s first need is to make a living. “Of
course,” as Judge Wyzanski noted, “when Dr. Johnson was told that a man
must live, he replied that he did not see the necessity.” In any case,
“because a man must live, of course it does not follow that he must, or
indeed should be permitted, to do everything which will enhance his
economic standard of living.” The new lawyers may note and take to heart
this exhortation of Judge Wyzanski.
The cynics may however prefer Justice Brown: “It is the desire to
earn money which lies at the bottom of the greatest effort of genius.
The man who writes books, paints picture, moulds statues, builds houses,
pleads causes, preaches sermons, or heals the sick, does it for the
money there is in it; and if, in so doing, he acquires a reputation as
an author, painter, sculptor, architect, jurist or physician, it is only
an incident to his success as a money-getter. The motive which prompted
Angelo to plan the dome of St. Peter, or paint the frescoes of the
Sistine Chapel, was essentially the same as that which induces a common
laborer to lay brick or dig sewers.”
The new lawyers must however do themselves the justice to try to
recall the hopes and dreams that inspired them to train in the law in
the first place. Some of the new lawyers may wonder about the things
they will now learn in the profession that they never learned in law
school. They may ask why. Some of them may wonder if the situation and
atmosphere must be accepted and lived with or if these can be improved,
if not removed and replaced with something better. They may ask why not.
As the Shavian epigram puts it, some men see things that are and ask –
WHY? – while others see things that never were and ask – WHY NOT?
WHY NOT, INDEED?
source: Manila Times by RENE SAGUISAG
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