May the force be with you!

I am happy to see that President Aquino is taking his campaign on corruption very seriously. The only way he can put a stop to this problem is to clean house and clear all obstacles in his path that may be a stumbling block to his actions.

In the past year since he took the oath of office, all his moves have been choked, making him very ineffective. Now it seems to be a matter of life or death for him and for DOJ Secretary De Lima. They seem to be “going for the kill”. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining. Anything should be good as long as it is for the interest of the people. So please continue to do everything to protect the people and to protect our nation.

You know after so much anarchy, after too much chaos and disruption of government policies, after uncontrolled corruption and euphoria, the new President has spoken and taken his stand. He must continue to be guided with the promise he gave to the people. Until we see his promise fulfilled will we be able to see the break of a new dawn.

With his renewed strength and vitality, the President is showing us that he has balls. That he is not a wimp. Continue to stand your ground, the straight and fearless way, and in the end you will be able to straighten up everything. Just like Lee Kwan Yew.

Lee Kwan Yew managed to transform Singapore’s economy while maintaining tight political control over the country. In fact, Singapore’s government can best be described as a “soft” authoritarian regime. Maybe this was what Corona meant when he described P-Noy as being a dictator. I think he did not use the right description and words. At this point it’s too early to accuse P-Noy of being a dictator for that matter. Of course P-Noy can easily be that but not right now and I think not in the future because democracy was what his parents had fought for all this time. He will probably maintain firmness and develop strict controls to make this country run on proper and more legal grounds following the rule of law and order. And by doing so, he will be able to achieve economic growth while retaining political stability and control.

You have started the ball rolling, Mr. President. You must be very careful of all your moves. You must also be able to control your people. If you falter in any way, you will lose this momentum. May the force be with you!

* * *

This is a difficult time for our country. Perhaps the day of reckoning is at hand. The signs and elements of the crisis we are now facing is slowly eating up our nation. But we should be reminded that politics shouldn’t rule our land. We must continuously develop our economy by being more productive citizens. We must strengthen our identity by fostering our culture and heritage.

Commercialization has invaded our lives so much so that everything and everyone seems to have a price. The worst and perhaps the most significant of all these is the decadence of our political institutions. Trust and confidence in our leaders is at its lowest. And now it seems the looming Constitutional crisis has become a reality.

Today, the Supreme Court is besieged. It is in an unlikely position fending off accusations left and right putting the SC’s integrity and credibility in question. Should Chief Justice Corona take the path of honor and resign from office or should he stay and defend the integrity of the highest court of the land?

Remember those who play with fire are likely to end up in flames. And eventually, God forbid, the wrath of the people will rise up and swallow them all. We do not want war. We want peace.

Our President is surely in high spirits these days after the impeachment of Chief Justice Corona. You got what you wanted, Mr. President. I pray that God continues to guide you in your work for the good of the country.

Indeed, it has truly become a clash of the titans in the real sense of the word. Corona has broken his silence and chosen to go head-on in defending himself and proving his innocence of all the accusations. He has finally reached the end of the line and has nowhere else to go but face the reality that the President will not stop at all cost until he is out of the Supreme Court. The sequence of events reminds me of the case of former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.

* * *

As Christmas draws near, I can’t help but wonder how could we celebrate this joyous occasion when we seem to be surrounded by so much anger, hatred, indifference, dishonesty, distrust, and greed.

Advent is a season of preparation. It should be a time to thank God for the coming of Jesus Christ and celebrate His presence among us today through the Spirit. God loves us and wants us to share that love. But right now, the way we live and do things is not God-centered. We have forgotten the reason why God sent His only Son to the world. This is to save us from sin. The evil that we see around us has caused senseless loss of lives and inequality among men. We need to change our ways.

Advent is far more than simply marking a 2,000 year-old event in history. It symbolizes our spiritual journey. It is calling to mind our faith in God and the hope of eternal life. God is enough. It is only when we find God that we can become sufficient.

During this Christmas ‘holy day’, let us find our way back to God. We need to be reborn. Let’s take some time out from all the parties and shopping to look into our hearts. And hopefully, some spiritual transformation will take place in each of us.

And amidst our jubilation let us pray and remember our brothers and sisters in Mindanao who perished during the recent typhoon.