Obeying illegal orders - GOTCHA by Jarius Bondoc

It may not have been orchestrated. But if there was a common line of questioning by senator-judges and defense lawyers in Joseph Estrada’s impeachment trial, it was on the matter of obeying illegal orders.

Miriam Santiago tried to elicit such a confession from Roberto Lastimoso when she asked why he let illegal jueteng operations proliferate during his tenure as PNP chief. "I only followed orders from the President," Lastimoso replied matter-of- factly.

Estelito Mendoza nagged prosecution witness Emma Lim about her admission that she accepted then delivered jueteng protection bribes to Malacanang. She swore she was a bit scared, but then, "kay Presidente naman ang jueteng."

Lastimoso and Lim’s candidness was admirable, considering the price they have to pay. Lim reportedly has been getting death threats. If congressmen-prosecutors are not quick enough to seek legal immunity for their witnesses, anybody claiming majesty of the law but actually working for the powers-that-be can sue Lastimoso before the Ombdusman.

Of course, Lastimoso can always implicate his principal, as he did in his testimony. Still, one wonders how deep down PNP ranks the habit is to obey illegal orders. How often is it committed in the state bureaucracy?

Lowly policemen know the answer. Too often are they ordered to go forth and "solicit" lechon for the station chief’s or his mistress’ birthday bash. Or to escort with motorcycles this funeral or that wedding cortege. Or even to summarily execute crime suspects in the name of law and order.

Two policemen who exposed the Kuratong Baleleng massacre were asked why their fellow-officers routinely rat-rat civilians. They said it has something to do with promotions, rewards, ignorance of law or standard operating procedures. Most of all, plain callousness.

Bureaucrats routinely obey illegal orders for the same reasons. They embellish reports or cover up malversation of public funds by superiors in exchange for a favorable endorsement to the next higher rank or a share of the loot. In many cases, career officers greet newly-appointed bosses with offers to teach them the money-making ropes or do the dirty job for them.

The callousness with which they do it shows how far lost morality is in public service. Which again makes one wonder why.

It’s not as if history contains no lessons about the consequences of obeying illegal orders. While Richard Nixon was able to cop a pardon for the Watergate break-in, two of his henchmen went to jail for it. The My Lai massacre in Vietnam led to prison terms for an entire platoon of American GIs. Although they followed written orders from the Katipunan high command, the cruel executioners of Andres Bonifacio have been relegated to the dustbin of history.

The morality issue grates. Most Filipinos are raised as Catholics, go to Catholic schools or seminaries, and presumably are guided by religious aunts or grandmas. The Bible teaches them what happened to Herod for heeding, even if reluctantly, Salome’s immoral request for John the Baptist’s head on a silver platter. Do Filipinos automatically forget such lessons upon joining the government?

All laws of man are based on laws of God. All religions preach right from wrong, good from evil. Moral values certainly aren’t lost on Filipinos. That’s why, sooner or later, they say enough is enough of obeying immoral and illegal orders. That’s why they ultimately break from evil superiors, at times risking their lives and futures to expose them.

Not all are of the same moral stuff, of course. There are those who persist in questioning followers of illegal orders instead of going after the "commander-in-thief" who gave the orders in the first place.

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INTERACTION. Alex Macauyag, aol.com: Butz Aquino’s claim that Erap is godsent to us is like saying Jews must be grateful to Hitler for gassing six million of them (Gotcha, 9 Dec. 2000).

Vernon Dula, netscape.net: Butz has no moral authority to pontificate, given the way he ran his family life.

Marciano Dimacali, Pinkertons.com: I’ve always called Butz a pseudo-intellectual during his B-movie and ATOM days. His gift-from-God speech proves me right.

Leo Tranate, mmsa.com: A womanizer like Erap, Butz shouldn’t think all Filipinos are like him. As for Narvasa comparing Erap to Caesar, maybe he meant Cesar Asar.

Oscar Venturina, Diliman, QC: Press USec Mike Toledo keeps calling anti-Erap protesters a noisy minority. He can’t see the millions of voluntary, unpaid marchers.

Jeremy Tan, Binondo, Mla.: All this talk about the impeachment process being a sign of our mature, working democracy makes me want to throw up. The fact that our political system allows the likes of Joseph Ejercito to become President is proof that it isn’t. So does the fact that "honorable" Senators John Osmeña and Tessie Oreta can accept million-peso balato without apologizing.

Gerardo Delgado, excite.com: Sec. Morales says Hacienda Luisita’s CARP corporate scheme is unfair. What does he say of Danding Cojuangco’s CARP in Negros, which follows the same scheme.

Bess Icasiano, un.org: Is Erap using his mom to win public sympathy?
Luciano de Guzman, yahoo.com: Please extend our congratulations to Ms. Emma Lim for her courageous, straightforward, convincing testimony. Occasional lapses in memory are normal. Our country needs more like her.

Lito Guison, Las Pinas: I don’t know Waldy Carbonell, but I’d like to endorse his daily radio show (DWIZ, 882-AM, 12-1 p.m.) for uncensored news and alternative commentary on present politicians.

Say, Lito, may I also plug my show: Subukan, with JP Fenix and Joe Torres, Sundays, 12:30-2 p.m., DZXL, 558-AM. Catch it while it’s still on.

Thank you, Bing Ramos, Dr. Leila Barona, Josie Lim Cruz, Willie Vicedo, Clint & Paulyn Gaite-Navales, Ben Bie, Megan Canda, Carclea Fontelo, Ben Gabila, Don Guilles, Dr. Rafael Salgado, Rene Torres, Mary Grace Camacho, R. dela Cruz, Edwin Hugo.

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YOUR COMPUTER. You guessed right, still another worm has hit the Internet. The fourth to be detected since November, W32.Prolin.Worm spreads through Microsoft Outlook by e-mailing itself to everyone in the address book. Also known as troj_shockwave or troj_prolin, it attacks with an attachment, creative.exe. It can be cured with Norton Antivirus.

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