BY ATTY. BATAS MAURICIO

LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death…” (Romans 8:1-2, the Holy Bible).

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SANDIGAN STANDS UP TO PUBLIC PRESSURE: Balls, and lots of it, is how I view the Sandiganbayan decision approving the plea bargain deal between the Ombudsman and former AFP comptroller Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia. 

This is so because the court’s justices who penned and signed the decision showed there are still those among us who can stand up to the pressures of public opinion and even outright Malacanang intervention. Congratulations, Sandiganbayan, for standing your ground, at the very least.

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YARDSTICK FOR THE NEXT OMBUDSMAN AND SC JUSTICES:Many names are now being floated around as the possible next Ombudsman and next Supreme Court justices, and, believe you me, all of them are competent and qualified and deserve to be appointed. 

But, in these perilous times, the Office of the President should measure the qualifications of all these candidates just against one standard---the yardstick with which the Pharaoh of Egypt used in appointing Joseph the Dreamer as the second leader of that nation, who will be in charge of efforts to fight the seven-year famine that God will strike the country with.

“Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” the Pharaoh asked his officials when they were told, by Joseph the Dreamer himself, that to fight the severe famine that was coming to Egypt the Pharaoh must look for a discerning and wise man to take charge of the country (see Genesis 41:1-57, the Bible).

Indeed, only the man who has the spirit of God can be a good Ombudsman and good Supreme Court justices, because they will know God’s dictum to “maintain justice in the courts” (Amos 5:15), and Christ’s admonition for leaders to be servants of the people (Mark 10:43-44), as well as the supreme penalty of destruction if God’s Word is not obeyed by those in power.

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DEPED’S MISGUIDED PRIORITIES: The Department of Education (DepEd) cannot be faulted for releasing P7 billion for the building and repair of classrooms nationwide, but I am afraid repairing and refurbishing these physical structures will not really give proper education to our children. Why?

Classrooms will be classrooms, and classes can even be conducted under growing trees anywhere, but what the DepEd must really concern itself with is training our children in the way they should go while they are still young so that even if they grow old, they will not depart from it (see Proverbs 22:6 of the Holy Bible).

As it is, despite the billions and billions of government money being spent by the DepEd annually supposedly for the education of the Filipino youth, our children continue to grow as individuals who have no respect for their parents, for their teachers and for the authorities, who have no concern for our country and people, and who have no fear of God. Sayang naman, di ba?