RAIN OF FIRE

Constitutional supremacy
CESAR G. BONILLA

LAOAG CITY -- The world is being torn by violence, crime and war; weighed down by agreed, immorality, poverty; poisoned by increasing pollution and waste by wanton destruction of resources.

Government is no big deal. On our own, we’re more helpless. We must be awakened by the miseries of life that are crippling our hopes for the future. But how do we begin to fight wickedness, ease our suffering and stop our descent to destruction which eventually leads to suffering?

Turn to the Bible. Reading and studying it, we really turn to God, the Comprehensive Idea behind our existence. Reading and studying it, we really turn to God. We profit by it. We know the meaning of life and understand its purposes for us. Then we act on the basis of our faith. The Bible is the world’s most important book, an all-time bestseller.

Billions of copies it had been printed and been translated into more than 1,800 different languages and available to 98 percent of the world’s population. Forty individuals of diverse backgrounds – kings, shepherds, fishermen, civil servants, priests, one general, and physician – wrote various portions of the Bible.

It is the Lord God who gave them the wisdom, divine vision, inspiration and holiness to write the divine Chapters of this Holy Scripture. A collection of 66 Books, the bible embodies law, prophecy, history, poetry, counsel, and other matters. The first 39 books were written originally mainly in the Hebrew by Jews, long before Jesus Christ was born, and referred to as the Old Testament.

The latter part of 27 books was written in Greek by Christian form what is known as the New Testament. All books were written over some 1,600 years, starting when Egypt was the dominant world power and ending when Rome ruled most of the world. In our country, respect for religion is a must to every citizen, whether Christian or Non-Christian.

Some of our brothers and sisters oftentimes, called themselves Christians but deep within their hearts they knew they were ravishing wolves. Call it hypocrisy. The love of Jesus Christ radiates to the poorest of the poor who know how to worship Him despite their social status, in a society dominated by material profligacy.
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The anti-government uprising that took place at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City is being given wide latitude in interpretation. But acts done outside the legal parameter of Constitutional supremacy must be curtailed and restricted for the sake of democracy. Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV together with Army Brigadier-General Danilo Lin, former Vice-President Teofisto Guingona, Jr., and 33 withstood the challenge of time to call for change and political reconstruction in this sovereign nation of ours. But this should have been done within the bounds of law.

Any act contrary to the provisions of the Constitution and special laws are not sanctioned by personal legalism and appeal. President Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo upheld ‘constitutional supremacy’ to stop divisiveness among the Filipino people.

In the execution of laws, it must be hard and strongly enforced since this is needed to preserve peace and order in the land. But the duly constituted authorities must respect the role of the Press in giving light and substance to significant event like the one in Manila Peninsula Hotel so that there is no curtailment of the freedom enshrined in the Constitution.

The treatment of the media practitioners as I have seen it with my two eyes through television was too humiliating and demeaning. Without the Press, the government is just like an island of Aeolus floating in the Atlantic Ocean.
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The giving of Christmas bonuses by local government units can be a gesture of generosity by the givers for the loyalty, hardworking attitude, and efficiency of government employees notwithstanding their positions and level of employment within the organization.

Public service is a public trust. Those in the echelons of power should give their best to lift the underprivileged segments of society. It is a basic principle in public service that courtesy is always number one in the hierarchy of values.

The poor are sensitive to discrimination and inhuman treatment like those committed by government employees whose duty is to serve the people with utmost respect, dedication, and sincerity. Interaction with employees is paramount.

While some employees are sitting like princes and princesses inside the office with their faces beaming with satisfaction at the turn of the clock, the gap between them and the unemployed or poverty-stricken is just like heaven and the deep blue sea.

They should be thankful they are favored and much fortunate. So, the giving of bonuses is justified for they are the best people who serve the people by being with government,