The Verdict
"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people." Proverbs 14:34, NIV
[Note: This is my personal stance and does not in any way represent Makati Gospel Church or its leadership.]
I admit that I doubted that the Sandiganbayan would render a guilty verdict on the plunder case of former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada. So when the anti-graft court handed down the "guilty" verdict, it really came as a surprising relief. Now I will not discuss the merits of the case. I am not a lawyer. You can watch or listen or read the pros and cons over the media. And it can still be appealed. It is not yet final.
Let me focus on the rule of law instead. As a country, we thrive on shortcuts (whether in getting a driver's license or in unseating the powers that be). We ousted two presidents already through "People Power." Erap faced an impeachment court but it was cut short by a walkout. Then people massed in EDSA. The rest is... well, history. The problem was our shortcut short-circuited the legal process. In a sense, we ended up with a mob mentality, that is, we tend to force our way when things don't go our way.
Whether we agree or disagree with it, we should respect the decision of the court because we are a nation ruled by law. Though they have the right to exhaust all legal means to appeal the case, I pray that the Erap camp will also respect that rule of law. I just hope that people who disagree with the decision would stop inciting more protests or would not provoke another uprising. We need to learn to submit to the law and go through the process no matter how unfavorable or tedious it may be. As a legal cliché goes, "The law may be hard but it is still the law."
It is the same with the Word of God. Because God said it, that settles it, whether we believe it or not. The Bible may not go the way we think it should go, but we should go where it bids us to go.
Brethren, the verdict is in. Let us move on.
[Note: This is my personal stance and does not in any way represent Makati Gospel Church or its leadership.]
I admit that I doubted that the Sandiganbayan would render a guilty verdict on the plunder case of former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada. So when the anti-graft court handed down the "guilty" verdict, it really came as a surprising relief. Now I will not discuss the merits of the case. I am not a lawyer. You can watch or listen or read the pros and cons over the media. And it can still be appealed. It is not yet final.
Let me focus on the rule of law instead. As a country, we thrive on shortcuts (whether in getting a driver's license or in unseating the powers that be). We ousted two presidents already through "People Power." Erap faced an impeachment court but it was cut short by a walkout. Then people massed in EDSA. The rest is... well, history. The problem was our shortcut short-circuited the legal process. In a sense, we ended up with a mob mentality, that is, we tend to force our way when things don't go our way.
Whether we agree or disagree with it, we should respect the decision of the court because we are a nation ruled by law. Though they have the right to exhaust all legal means to appeal the case, I pray that the Erap camp will also respect that rule of law. I just hope that people who disagree with the decision would stop inciting more protests or would not provoke another uprising. We need to learn to submit to the law and go through the process no matter how unfavorable or tedious it may be. As a legal cliché goes, "The law may be hard but it is still the law."
It is the same with the Word of God. Because God said it, that settles it, whether we believe it or not. The Bible may not go the way we think it should go, but we should go where it bids us to go.
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