Martial Law and Religion .... 1 45 Loyola School of Theology of School Loyola University of Santo Tomas University of Santo Martial Law And Religion And Law Martial Romualdo E. Abulad, SVD, Ph.D. SVD, E. Abulad, Romualdo Martial Law, EDSA Revolution, Ferdinand Marcos, Marcos, Ferdinand Revolution, EDSA Martial Law, The Martial Law years as among the darkest in our darkest as among the years The Martial Law Christ the King Mission Seminary King Christ the his writer’s actual experience of the Martial when, on Law September 21, was 1972, the dictator declared it. This paper was originally at delivered the Diskursong Thomasian Tomasino Debaters’ 1 Keywords: Abstract: Abstract: the revolution the became a revolution fight between good and Religion evil, where of Martial Law. as the polar opposite stood Ethics Religion, Duterte, Rodrigo to call for the people to congregate at the great highway, and a and highway, at the great congregate to for the people call to sea of humanity then made history as they flooded the revolution a bloodless rosaries, and roses but with guns not with long street indeed that filled the air with patriotic songs and prayers, a virtual priests included which picnic for all members of the family, potluck a true People garbs, and nuns and seminarians in their recognizable event. a Thus,religious is simultaneously which Revolution Power history, accounting still for most of the ills that we continue to suffer to continue we still for most of the ills that accounting history, and spontaneous the immediate explains That darkness today. on those four glorious EDSA into poured people who of the response Revolution that the EDSA in 1986. It is no accident of September days a cleric, motifs. It was among others, with religious saturated, was station radio used the lone Catholic who Sin, Cardinal loved the much T 2017. on suspicion of opposition; there was no free press to speak of, Council Forum, held at the Seminary Gymnasium of the University of Santo Tomas on 11 March reported reported and then you got invited forever. If and you call then that discipline, you padlocked were I disappeared TV, tell and radio broadcast, you and print both it networks, was not. Media and anti-capitalism, were also anti-Marcos. It wasn’t a beautiful type of silence; it was the silence produced by the Big Brother of George Orwell’s 1984, the silence of fear lest someone got you protest protest were gone, the streets cleared. One dared not say aloud in public the usual slogans which, besides being anti-feudalism And then there was quiet – the quiet of a graveyard. There was no way to express opposition, so the noisy and rowdy voices of Abulad... a aray h mc-rie aot e Scey wt is new its with Society, New about much-bruited the already was of times, only boring, if not scary, times. Before you knew thereit, were the worst of times, and there was no way to speak of the best films deridingly called bomba, the new opium of the people. sex the Those with – abundance in was yougenre one Only stories. bore propaganda would which mouthpieces administration only President himself . But all that was icing on the cake of increasing the as omnipotent as just was Lady First the because all no at time in sometimes stand, to made were Center, Film ill-fated the including architecture, Arts of masterworks more few Folk a and Center,Theatre, Convention International Philippine San Center, famous the like bridges Juanico saw the light of day, built, structures like the Philippine Cultural were highways and roads Indeed, beautiful. the and good the true, the on mouthfuls Lady’s and cheating sectors, became the order of lowlythe day, very all that despite the First in even proliferate these like cases Pathetic day.the of end the at herself or himself for pesos earn not would who fool a was canteen school public a of teacher-manager the head supervisor,and a and principal of her or level his bribing the without teacher to up move not could teacher Even small-time a corruption. and graft in engage to normal new a became it that Marcos of regime the during was It poverty. nationwide every nook and cranny of our society, not to mention the creeping was bedevils resultnow that corruption The of culture the of entrenchment the state. the of treasury the freely plunder to and out, into turned dig it and, administration the of enemies silence the to meant move self-serving a was declaration The one. the MartialLaw was declared. the same time. That was dictatorship, no doubt, sealed on the day at judiciary as act and constitution, new a produce evendecrees, and laws issue also could who executive the under ruled all co-equal but three its with democracy a right, all branches,threewerebranches;there superficiallythose longer no truth, in was, It government. the of nature very the in shift fundamental a be legislative,the in thereshould change there’swhena that course, at least most of the time. All students of political science know, of executive, the by anyway made were laws parliamentary,whose supposedly government, new a based was which on constitution hr wr toe f s h nvr eivd n t ic day since it in believed never who us of those were There 46 Martial Law and Religion .... 47 No wonder our experience of the Martial Law was dark and a fight between good and evil, where Religion stood as the polar their recognizable garbs, a true People Power Revolution which is simultaneously a religious event. Thus, the became revolution a bloodless revolution indeed that filled the songs and air prayers, with a patriotic virtual potluck picnic the for family, which all included priests members and nuns of and seminarians in Catholic radio station to call for the people to congregate at the great and highway, a sea of humanity then made history as they flooded the not long with street guns but and with rosaries, roses Revolution Revolution was saturated, among others, with religious motifs. It was a cleric, the much loved Cardinal Sin, who used the lone That darkness explains the immediate and spontaneous response response spontaneous and immediate the explains darkness That of the people who poured days of into September in 1986. EDSA [5] on It is those no accident that four the EDSA glorious welfare. We will go back to this point later. For now, however, let’s however, now, For later. point this to back go will We welfare. mark the Martial Law years as among the darkest in our history, today. suffer to continue we that ills the of most for still accounting is enshrined in the constitution people’s is perhaps the proof enough serve that sometimes its could declaration its thought framers traumatic. traumatic. Marcos robbed Martial little Law of positive whatever element for it the might fact have, that possibly its occasional use arrest if it were not that the Martial Law was declared precisely in precisely declared was Law Martial the that not were it if arrest order to quash the opposition and prolong even further the stay of the dictator. ones in public and private service were making the Italian mafia the during that All benchmark. their Lincoln Abraham than rather regime of the dictatorship, whose growth people would hope to nation envied by others in these parts of Asia as second only to Japan in terms of began excellence its slide down. The ambitious what what you know, that counted. Students just motion went through of the education and eventually graduated finding a in patron who could the land them hope a job. of What used to be a struggle. Some of our best minds had to fly abroad to seek asylum asylum seek to abroad fly to had minds best our of Some struggle. and evade the punitive hands of Cronyism the became the fad dictator of the and hour. It’s his whom you know, not cronies. Filipino. Filipino. It was then that our young idealists went underground and hid in mountain fastnesses while continuing the nationalist poverty, declining poverty, morale, and the worsening moral fiber of the Abulad... ril VI Scin 8 hs nhie te ata Lw n such in Law Martial the enshrined has 18, Section VII, Article other thanwhat theconstitutionmeantitto be. Law an instrument of darkness, of evil, having used it for purposes Law we could not help but shudder. The dictator had made Martial Martial of mention every at why is Law.This Martial of opposite 1986); Sterling Seagrave, TheMarcos Dynasty(NewYork: Harper&Row, 1988). Days,28 ProjectKong:Revolt (Hong Philippine the Moyer,of RobinBayan Images Ko!(eds.), al. et Philippine The Reuter, Power:Be. James Foundation,The 1986); S.J., (Manila: Eyewitness History People An 1986, Revolutionof ed., (Quezon Mercado, Manalang Allarey 1998); Monina S. 1987); Priscila Ltd, Publications, ed. Claretian Writings, Pte City: Selected Children: [S] our for Company Nation Toppan A Philippines: (Singapore: Diokno, W. the Jose Authoritarianism and of Marcos Ferdinand Economy Celoza, Political F. The Albert 1988); Bookmark, (Manila: 1984-86 Crusade NAMFREL the from Stories Bayan: ng Bantay Byington, Kaa 1989); York:Books,Werner Sandra Burton, Impossible Dream: The Marcoses, the Aquinos, and the Unfinished Revolution (New The Marcoses and the Making of American Policy (Mandaluyong, Metro Manila: TimesBooks, 1987); Hero a (Makati: Benigno of S. PortraitAquino, Jr.Aquino: Ninoy TeodoroFoundation,Benigno, 1999); 1993); Raymond(Asia), Bonner,Schuster & Waltzing Simon with a and Dictator: Bhd. Sdn [M] EDSA Revolution: Syed Hussein Alatas, Corruption and the Destiny of Asia (Malaysia: Prentice Hall to abandon the Philippines on the throes of the EDSA Revolution. family,his with forced, was he when 1986, until term his extend 1981, during which, under a new constitution, Marcos was able to 17, January on only lifted years, 10 almost to went law martial of regime The constitution. the eventuallychanging and legislature the changing decrees and laws issue to day him enabled the and savedhim for law martial the term; last his of end the of short yeara wouldabout reelectionhe be years.1972, for 4 In another The law.” martial section continues: under thereof part any or country the place or corpus habeas of writ the of privilege the suspend days, sixty exceeding not period a may,for President the it, requires safety words as follows: “In case of invasion or rebellion, when the public And yet, the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, the of Republic the of Constitution the yet, And Marcos was allowed a term of 4 years with the possibility of possibility the with years 4 of term a allowed was Marcos shall persist and public safety requiresshall persistandpublicsafety it. a periodto bedetermined by theCongress, iftheinvasion orrebellion may, inthe samemanner, extend such proclamation orsuspensionfor by Upontheinitiative thePresident. theCongress ofthePresident, proclamation orsuspension,which revocation shallnotbesetaside of allitsMembersinregular orspecialsession, may revoke such Congress. TheCongress, voting jointly, by avote ofatleastamajority the President shallsubmitareport inpersonorwritingto the privilegethe of suspension the or corpus, habeas of writ the of 2 hours from proclamationthe forty-eight Within ofmartiallaw For purposes of this paper, the author consulted the following books relevant to the to relevant books following the consulted author the paper, this of purposes For 48 2

Martial Law and Religion .... 3 49 4 Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince and Other Works, trans. Allan H. Gilbert (USA: Henricks Henricks (USA: Gilbert H. Allan trans. Works, Other and Prince The Machiavelli, Niccolo Ibid., 141. 3 4 A prudent ruler, therefore, cannot and should not observe cannot faith therefore, A prudent ruler, Since, then, it is necessary for a prince to understand how to make make to how understand to then, it is necessary for a prince Since, You must realize, then, that there are two ways to fight. In one kind one In fight. to ways two are there that then, realize, must You their promises to you, you likewise do not have to keep yours to them. to yours keep to do not have likewise you you, to their promises prince needs to be a fox that he may know how to deal with traps, traps, deal with to how know may that he be a fox needs to prince the wolves. frighten and a lion that he may that and the causes his disadvantage observance such is to when this all good, If men were vanished. have his promise made him give and do not keep wicked men are but since not be good, would advice second second to animals. But because the first often falls short, one has to act to how perfectly must know a prince Hence, the second. turn to a man . . . a beast and like like among them of the animals, he should select use of the conduct good from himself protect the lion cannot and the lion, because the fox So the the wolves. from himself protect cannot and the fox traps, the laws are used, in the other, force. The force. first is suitable to man, the used, are thelaws in the other, For For there is such a difference between the way men live and This is the source of the infamous Machiavellian precept: “The precept: Machiavellian infamous the of source the is This Marcos Marcos is the epitome of Machiavellian politics. The Prince than preserve him, because anyone who determines to act in all House, Inc., 1964), the way they ought to live, that anybody who abandons what is for what ought to be will learn something that will ruin rather oneself in power is the alpha and omega of politics. In Chapter 15, Chapter In politics. of omega and alpha the is power in oneself says: Machiavelli human to what is bestial. Any means at all can prince, be fair used or by foul, the if it is to his own interest is or the end. political This end, end which is none other than power. To keep end justifies the means.” The means is anything from what is are some very famous lines from Chapter 18: Chapter from lines famous some very are be dying. seems to been have written for him, if not for one like him. Here God. Marcos used every Machiavellian means to keep himself in but human power, strength has its limits. By the time he flew to already might he that sick so be to rumored fact in was he Hawaii, if it were not of voice the is people for the of voice The Dei. vox populi, Vox the Power. intervention of God through the People There is no telling how long yet he would have remained in power power in remained have would he yet long how telling no is There Abulad... appearance, is what the politician of the Machiavellian mold has mold Machiavellian the of politician the what is appearance, or notasisrequired. ability that use to and good, not be to how learn must he himself, maintain to wishes prince a if Hence, good. not arewho many so among ruin to come must man good a of part the circumstances of violence as early as the campaign period, he was still given an overwhelming mandate by the by people duringthe election,winningby about6millionvotes.mandate overwhelming an given threats still was such he expressed period, campaign openly the having as early that, as violence amazing of is It corruption. and graft and criminality of power another.”the in is what (Machiavelli, ThePrince, Chapter 17;Gilberttrans.,on 147) not and power own his in is what on relyevidently will prince wise a pleases, prince the as fear and please they as love men since 17; that Chapter conclude “I Prince, 145) The trans., (Machiavelli,Gilbert up.”given be must them of one if loved, be to than feared moresecurebe tomuch is it that hold I reconciletothem, difficult is it because But forboth. wish more advantageous, especially for aruler, to seemgoodthanbegood. and analysis,better final the in is, it that is, sayto trying is Glaucon, Thrasymachus,through What italics) my 608; 1973], Press,University Princeton Jersey: [New Cairns Huntington and Hamilton Edith eds. Dialogues, Collected The 361b-c; II Republic (Plato, esteem.” that of because gifts and havewill he deprivewejust thoughtFormust Then to be seeming. honors going the is of he him if good. be to but seem to wish not Aeschylus,does of phrase the in who, man, noble and simple a – side his at man just the set character,must this theory of our man unjust an up haveset we when money.and And friends provision of his and vigor and spirit manly his of reasonforceby employ to needed, forceis when and light, to come misdeeds his persuasivelyof anyspeak if to ability his justice, and if he does happen to trip, we must concede to him the power to correct his mistakes by him, while committing the greatest wrongs, to have secured for himself the greatest reputation for allow must we but it, of nothing withhold and injustice perfect assign must we then, man, unjust position was, however, strengthened by Glaucon in Republic II, which partly says: “To the perfectly killing straight intheface. is impunity in the case of both. Let us then look at the morality of are killings on both scenarios, and it is easy to conclude that there seem to project the strong image of one who rules by force. There both that fact the with starting comparison, of elements find and end justifies any means, fair or foul, good or bad? It is easy to look a Machiavellian politician who has no moral qualms for whom the day:Marcos,Duterteanother the Is ofjust question all-important manner.certain a in behave to like would he those in fear instilling actually is he kill, to threatens Duterte the other’s will. on depends loved be to while control his within something is feared himself make to because loved, than ratherfeared be to than rather good good. seem be to better is it that concludes he where by up Republic, Plato’s of playedbook first the is in speech his in deceit Thrasymachus Such politician. traditional or trapo by achieved mastery of, which is also what we mean in the Philippines hs ly ewe seig n big bten elt and reality between being, and seeming between play This Fear is, in fact, the military or martial cause. When President When cause. martial or military the fact, in Fearis, 7 6 5 President Rodrigo Duterte repeatedly threatens death against those engaged in drugs, in engaged those against death repeatedlythreatensDuterte Rodrigo President betterlovedtoit be “Is feared,tobe than reverse? the or should answerprince I a that His Thrasymachus. of speech the for 338b, with beginning I, Republic Plato, See 5 This is why, to Machiavelli, it is better for the prince the for better is it Machiavelli, towhy, is This 6

50 7 This brings us to the to us brings This Martial Law and Religion .... Any act that flows from from flows that act Any 8 51 Immanuel Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals, 1, trans. H.J. Paton, in The Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract, II.3, ed. Lester G. Crocker (New York: 8 9 It is this good will of Kant and general will of Rousseau 9 What Kant calls the good will is generally considered to have With love as the measure of goodness, everything becomes Let me go straight to the point and ask about the source of our of source the about ask and point the to straight go me Let Washington Square Press, 1967). Press, Square Washington Moral Law (London: Hutchinson University Library, 1966), 59. Library, University (London: Hutchinson Law Moral which, which, this writer would like to think, was at work in those four days in February we call the EDSA movement of Revolution. the people went beyond The all legal collective expectations and been inspired by J-J Rousseau’s general will, the will that never errs. the good works.” It the is good the works.” disposition of our heart that ultimately be. the act may what counts, no matter behavior, behavior, if it actually comes from a of John bad St. As good. or makes then, evil Love, will, evil. unequivocally account, is, on that all than more worth is love pure of act “One emphasizes, Cross the nothing in the world, or even out of it, which can be taken as good as taken be can it,which of out even or world, the in nothing will.” good a except qualification, without the good will is good, so that even what looks like an exemplary possible. In we can philosophy this liken to what Immanuel Kant is “There of Morals: of the Metaphysic us in the Groundwork tells becomes the genuine measure of good, especially because, to be (Jn4:16) blunt about it, “God is love.” of Love. “Love one another as I have loved you!” (Jn 13:34) is an even more simple version of the twofold love consisting of, first, of God love and, of then, neighbor (Mt love 22:37-40). now, Love, Old Testament to go wrong, except that there was still to be the New Testament which rewrote summarized them the all in one commandment: the old Commandment commandments and “Thou shalt not kill!” (Dt 5:17) With this injunction written a on tablet of stone by Yahweh himself, there was no way for the we simply take it for granted that we should not kill. Indeed, what what Indeed, kill. not should we that granted for it take simply we is the source of this conviction? Speaking as a Christian, I would personally go to Commandments the among that Ten others, say, seem to be giving all of us the opportunity to ask this all-crucial question: Where did we get the idea that it is an evil thing to kill another? Perhaps we have never ventured to ask the question; conviction conviction that killing is a moral evil. Come to think of it, what is it that assures us that killing is bad? in Events our country today Abulad... n I ae a ta tu Pol Pwr las ns n victory, in ends always Power precisely becauseitisequivalent to thepower ofGod. People true that say dare I and was,PeoplevoiceThat true the then, is God. Power, of people the sayingwe heard from voxLatins, the voxpopuli, voiceThe dei. of brokelaw.the letterof the wasThis alivewhen came literally the Maryland: ChristianClassics,1981), 1465. (Westminster,Vol.III Province Dominican English the of Fathers trans. self-defense; in man a kill Anima; also,Plato, Republic IV. Zarathustra. Spoke Thus work, main his 1966]; ThusSpoke Zarathustra, trans. probably R.J.Hollingdale[England: Penguin, 1966]). including works, his York:WalterEvil,trans.[New and BeyondKaufmann Good (FriedrichNietzsche, Random, Vintage of course, of is, all idea The in future.” the underlined of philosophy a to “prelude a truly values, of transvaluation purpose earnest and sincerity their against much so not speaks which President, the against work” “demolition the of forefront the in are church the of elite the up make likewise who society” of turned stale and transvaluationoutdated. It is clear the that the “yellows” of the “civil as to has society” “civil the of table moral refers overnightthe that so values, Nietzsche what case his in Rodrigo Duterte are morally justifiable? Only if there has occurred qualms no about killing,ifthatwould betantamountto good. has who God a us shows me, to scholar biblical fide Testament,Old readingthe A of thing. bad a been assuredbona a killed Yahweh,of Abrahamcommand the on Isaac, son, his Had good. is killing the that say even may one will, general or good the from comes earnestly killing as such act anyif Indeed, absolutely context. independentlywrongthe act of the limitsofablamelessdefense.” exceednot does one providedforce,byforce repel to lawful is “it St. Thomas Aquinas found the wisdom to make for exceptions, e.g. Under that table, to kill is bad in an absolute sense. Still, the great transgressionevil,the culpable. whichand makesfeelof guilty us ideal image of a man, when we were still merely the rational animal made sense. unto of the lot a Greek makes proposes Nietzsche as such values selves the key to what makes good. This is why a transvaluation of the source of all that is good. We have therefore within our natural The general will, or the good will, comes from within us and is Could it be that the killings his enemies attribute to Presidentto attribute enemies his killings the that be it Could an as killing consider to mistake a be would it brief, In 13 12 11 10 h vr tte f itsh’ wr, eod od n Ei, togy ugss the suggests strongly Evil, and Good Beyond work, Nietzsche’s of title very The Genesis: Chapter 22. to lawful is it Whether 7: Art 64, Q. II-II, Pt. Theologica, Summa Aquinas, Thomas St. De see Aristotle, Greeks,e.g. the from came animal rational a as man of definition The 11 it was rational to set up a table of good and 52 12

13 that would not havenot would that 10 Once, Martial Law and Religion .... There There 14 53 I have never done this before, but night after night since the election of Duterte I would would I Duterte of election the since night after night but before, this done never have I 14 And so, can martial law go hand in hand with morality and That, at least, is the image to the project, like would President informed as possible, which is a prerequisite for an open and critical mind. for is a prerequisite as possible, which informed not go to bed without checking the news of not the because I day am a as die-hard fan of well the President as but because I his would like talks to keep myself and as well- press conferences, violating its very spirit when he used it to justify the prolongation prolongation the justify to it used he when spirit very its violating of his rule, the salvaging of his political enemies and the plunder nor will, general the of act an not was That wealth. people’s the of religion? Why not, “in case of invasion or rebellion, when the public the when rebellion, or invasion of case “in not, Why religion? safety requires it”? To this there writer, is a difference between Marcos and Duterte. Marcos desecrated the constitution by doubt.” doubt.” the “yellows”, the the “civil the “yellows”, society”, Church elite, and the human not would sectors, international as some as well advocates, rights the of benefit “the call we parlance simple in what him, give to like know exactly what to expect when the country voted for him, and for the country voted when expect to what exactly know according work the do to chance the him give least at should we so to how best he knows. This is exactly the kind of thing which that claim outright. This writer would rather give him the benefit the him give rather would writer This outright. claim that We country. the of president elected the was he since doubt the of to thrive. to and so far this writer still finds no reason to reject and dismiss love of country and in the name of the future generations. future the of name the in and country of love in but not God, in believes who President a is doubt that this no is that type of an idol who allows for hypocrisy and vicious culture this writer would possibly take the risk and vote for this man, the for the risk and vote take possibly would this writer corruption, of tide cultural the turn could who seems) (it man only crime and all for drug supposedly addiction in our country today, people has unequivocally, people perhaps has given him even unequivocally, unerringly, an overwhelming mandate. If the elections were to be held today, demand that we keep our minds open and dare to review rethink our and revered values. Although I myself did this President, there not is something instructive vote in the fact for that our other biggies as the former president of the US, Barack Obama, the UN, perhaps the EU, the Commission on Human Rights and, more recently, the Amnesty International. The times, I think, moral moral stance of the case. They show a lack of a space compassionate for the side of the President, the same tack worn by such as their lack of of a comprehension shift possible in paradigm the Abulad... that politicians and policemen are forming a network to protect to network a forming are policemen and politicians that understandable is it money,so easy and big, for makes sale Drug extricate ourselves. The drug culture, for one, emanates from that. the culture of graft and corruption, from whichof we cannot till now entrenchment the and country the of impoverishment the to led that greed of act an but will, good a from proceeds that one drugs, corruption andcriminality. his change to willing listening, be to seems he – opposite the is perhaps, truth, The beforetyrant. is feela likeone one making of of his campaign against drugs, sometimes threatening to the point the of of tolerant bone the be narcotic state, break even to if blasphemously to boisterous against governmentthe commitment critics its the in for staunch too, criticism, good, is It ruthless killing. and careless against vigilant are Filipinos that it good and is lost, be will lives some that inevitable is it drugs against radically.mitigate least at election or the destroy to during campaign pledged has he which of all country, criminality the widespread in the and corruption of culture the with connected profoundly very is however, drugs, against war This commander-in-chief of the entire armed forces of the Philippines. as role his utilizing fully is he this for and country the in network of millionsdrugmoney for hersenatorial bid. and – incidentally - just as serious is that she was named recipient the national prisoners into a den of drug lords, pushers and users, National Bilibid Prison became a hub of the drug industry, turning the scenario where, under her watch as the Secretary of Justice, the pre-judge her case, but there is no doubt about the seriousness of to not is This offense. unbailable an of suspicion on court to her she indeed has some explaining to do and so it is not unfair to bring the struggle. Perhaps the worst case is that of Senator Delima, but continue and alive stay to abroad rushing or underground going either him oppose who those President’ssee don’t we and enemies, the political of elimination systemic a seen not have we far, the of future thatthey deserve. come to generations the deprives and youth our wastes which country our of death slow the - says Duterte – causing it, rsdn Dtres ot iil fgt s gis te drug the against is fight visible most Duterte’s President So not. Hopefully Marcos? another be to proving Duterte Is 15 He repeatedly reminds his audience of these three campaign promises he made against 54 15 In this war this In Martial Law and Religion .... 55 This writer did not vote for Duterte because of the risks In short, it might yet turn out that we have, despite the scandal scandal the despite have, we that out turn yet might it short, In him. populi, Vox vox Dei. The voice of the people is the voice of open about; he did not lie to for the voted people the people Yet, expect. to what then exactly them during telling the campaigns, into the creation of this culture of corruption. of this culture the creation into involved, of which he (Duterte) however has been thoroughly corruption has seeped into all nooks of society, not exempting the exempting not society, of nooks all into seeped has corruption government, the justice halls, business, school and the church. It seems that much of our reserve of creativity has been channeled happening even within the Church and smarter yet few names. to Institutions name have lost a their moral ascendancy since that he was heeded so soon as faithful to EDSA on those he four days of the was Revolution in 1986. heard It summoning the smart to call of was Duterte attention to the President corruption bloody bloody war against drugs. It is not true that we are looking for a suspicion the Villegas; Socrates Bishop of that than voice stronger is that even a Cardinal Sin won’t be listened to in the same way against against corruption, which is why the even and EJKs against the support draw church to difficult it finding and are society the civil caution on the part of the church elite who could not, even in their in even not, could who elite church the of part the on caution walk for life, be completely transparent about their anti-Duterte stance. People generally agree with President Duterte’s fight position to wage an all-out war against Duterte in the same way that we did at EDSA against Marcos, if only for people the power seems reason still that to stand by Duterte. That explains the have to listen beyond the expletives and see beyond the gruesome the beyond see and expletives the beyond listen to have deaths that still occur daily. The church is currently not in a about. will But we president. religious and ethical truly killings, a the of a glimpse of wisdom from his words and does see not only a sit president in Malacañang who but one who also teaches, thus a teaching president who’s showing us what paradigm shift is all heart is truly with the poor – and he exudes a sense of sincerity which translates into ongoing popularity. If one has not closed one’s mind and continues to listen to him, one might even get be right. He often tells us that he has no more his that need nation, the for of politics, health the about concerned mainly is he that mind mind when and necessary, well focused on what he considers to Abulad... people have spoken, and so has God. The way things seem to be to The seem things way The God. has concerned. so and spoken,have people was election presidential recent our as far so of acceptance their least wasat God Therewhichon, side on was question defeat. no declare to inevitably had rivals his all that overwhelminglyso won Duterte credible. as well as honest, and clean reliably be to out turned elections the since especially God, could involve killing within the ambit of the law. If that’s what we operations their anyonethat surprise not should it and job, their constitutes That loose. the on dependents drug arethere as long as for drugs. only but job, their do on to expected course, of are, warpolice The this of account on lives of loss prevent senseless to further order in proactively more something do actually to but criticize and talk to just not right its within also is church the the of scope the beyondrepair.and formidable looks industry drug Nevertheless, now that so worse, problem the made rather haveto seem workednot effectively, haveto fact, havein seemed, did administrations past the of strategy benign and kindly more within his right to resort to is that solution, especially since the supposedly he and solution, military the needs he thinks perhaps and prefers He commander-in-chief. as clout his using by is that and best, knows he way the to according also problem drug the in himself engaging from Duterte preventing use no is There it. know we way the in them, millions rehabilitate help the and of victims drug some of out seek – suggests Duterte we as then do drugs, should illegal taking of habit the in those of capability rehabilitative the about convinced are we if and lives, innocent political strength? oppose his of who nut hard proverbial those the cracked of far so have none him why reason main the confidence, Will here? the President manage happening to keep is his lead in what terms of Exactlythe people’s society. and politics to comes it when mind own its has church, the to faithful remaining while who, people a mobilizing in succeeded have would Sin Cardinal a even Not Revolution.EDSA another organize to enough strong proved not have bishops, the of those including administration, the against moves all why reason main the is – says writer this – that and President, elected duly the for support their withdrawn far,now,so going havethat, yetGod seems not and it people both f e r tuy ocre aot h ls o lvs especially lives, of loss the about concerned truly are we If 56 Martial Law and Religion .... 57 Or, as Confucius would put it, we Such a crusader’s passion is in danger in is passion a crusader’s Such 17 16 Whether we admit it or not, we now a have 18 The incident happened during the celebration of the EDSA Revolution on February 26, February on Revolution EDSA the of celebration the during happened incident The in defined is which justice, of problem the with concerned famously is Republic Plato’s “Let the ruler be the a minister the be ruler, father a and be minister, the a son father, 16 17 18 This writer thinks it is better that, as Plato would say it, we Chan (New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1973), 39. Press, University Princeton Chan (New Jersey: Book IV as the “principle of doing Republic 433b2; one’s Collected business.” Dialogues, Hamilton and Cairns, eds., 675. Wing-Tsit trans. Confucius, The Analects, 12:11, in Book A in Source Chinese Philosophy, be a son.” it we now see the police and the soldiers doing their job while the media. by recorded widely 2017; this was mind our own business. rectify our names. under And best. knows it way the in work to tries that government the Medieval Period. Period. the Medieval the truth of his advocacy. his truth of the of becoming worse than the wrong it seeks to infamous Inquisition correct, waged by the like Church in the the waning days of once to Jim Mr. Paredes who looked foolishly pathetic at his age berating seven Duterte youth hoping against hope to get them to understand what he considered was the truth and nothing but to to correct what we rightfully or wrongly condemn to be wrong on the other side. As a case in point, we can cite what happened our side, not on the side of the church perceived to be elite Possibly, be? and to ourselves want might we as clean as not certainly we could be committing a worse wrong in our passionate effort against against the President and seek to oust him through means fair or foul. How are we to do that since the people in whose power we trust are actually still possibly on the side of Duterte and not on tack, the tack of intelligent It and Teresa. Mother of also perhaps Samaritan, Good the strategic of example charity following the do won’t to stealthily and politically organize a common struggle that seems to mean business and whose strategy can only be on a military scale. Thus, our opposition should take the opposite protected protected by politicians from top to bottom and from by the policemen generals to their humblest earnest,one in government a have now we posers contrast, In Matobato. such as Mr. Edgar administrations of the government have not done enough of their of enough done not have government the of administrations problem drug the wings, their under and, regard this in homework has not only worsened; it has grown into a multibillion industry operation operation and bring the drug victims to our side for the kind of solution which we prefer to undertake. the Unfortunately, past want to prevent from happening, we should be ahead of the police police the of ahead be should we happening, from prevent to want Abulad... rn; hy r ide cret n ht hy r hnsl and honestly are they what in correct indeed are they wrong; West,internationalgroupstosome the allied as arenecessarily not well as group, same the and one arguablyfact society,in are which the people. The elite Church, together with the yellows and the civil contractwith keepingtheir to limits, human are,despite courts the cleansing their own ranks. It does seem also that the legislature and concept ofright; theconceptcontinuesto evolve historically. 1967). One might well say that the Philosophy of Right is the “Phenomenology of Mind” applied to the still the of hands immensely popularMayor ofDavao. realistic more the by desecrated so be not will Marcos of hands Machiavellian the by desecrated been has which not equivalent to the late President Marcos, and that the martial law strong, unyielding youth ofDuterte. the against rhetoric useless Paredes’ Jim as brazen and foolish as look advocacy passionate our making not, have we and on moved has he aloud, insinuates he as because, precisely him, understand we than better us understands he that ours, of ahead now is rights human of perception Duterte’s that is likelihood The Philippines. the in industry cultureand drug the of situation verylocal the with our hero, Ninoy Aquino, have alreadyof drastically altereddeath when faced the mourned we as reverently uphold to used we values the that so values, of transvaluation the calls Nietzsche Friedrich of meaning the country,“human rights” might have already insignificant changed overnight. This is what small, this of President as have might example,failed to notice is that, as for soon as the populist Duterte International, took his office Amnesty the and Obama history.of course the “right” in of unchanged remain meaning cannot the even that so notion, living a as notion the see to wisdom the has who Hegel philosopher arethe by taught we being lesson the remember here should we against But argue rights? can human who Indeed, advocate. to trying passionately That, then, is this writer’s optimism, that President Duterte is Duterte President that optimism, writer’s this is then, That, 19 See G.W.F.See T.M.trans. Right, Philosophyof OxfordHegel, University(London: Knox Press, 58 19 What Barack What Martial Law and Religion .... ------59 Bibliography ince, tr. Maryland: Christian Classics, 1981. Maryland: ince, tr. 1973. Press, University Vintage Random, 1966. Vintage Random, guin, 1966. 1967. Press, Square Washington ricks House, 1964. ricks 1986. Foundation, SJ Reuter, B. 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