IN THE DEFENSE OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

By Bayawanon

The present national leadership of the Philippines keep on hitting the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy of the Philippines for having consistently questioned the Philippine government on its domestic policy regarding the WAR ON DRUGS, and the current Supreme National Leader is taking personally the criticisms of the clergy regarding this issue by also throwing personal issues against some high ranking priests in the country and by trying to degrade the Catholic Church to the public. The president must slow down in this regard since the Catholic clergy have the right to check the government on this issue on the ground that they are also citizens of the country, hence they have the right to question the government when they feel like the state is not on the right track already.

It is true that there is a constitutional provision which provides for the separation of the Church and the State but it is NOT ABSOLUTE. The Separation of Church and State Doctrine is only limited to the fact that the church does not have a role in the formulation of state policies and that funds of the state cannot be used for any religious purpose, the Roman Catholic Church has also a rule prohibiting the clergymen in running for public office not until they resign from their religious duties but these factors do not mean that the Roman Catholic clerics cannot question the government when the same becomes misguided because they have the right to do so as citizens of the country and also by virtue of the VATICAN COUNCIL II.

The Vatican Council II was a council of reform empowering the priests, bishops and laities to be more proactive and to face all forces and problems of the community if needed. Now, there is a necessity from the Roman Catholic faith if the other sects and denominations won't and that is to defend one of the TEN COMMANDMENTS that says ... THOU SHALT NOT KILL. The WAR ON DRUGS is a good program of the government and I believe the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines supports this program not until its PRO-LIFE stance is and would be violated.

In connection to this, the government must give a chance to the drug addicts and pushers who would like to change by rehabilitating them and not by exterminating them. Most of the SAINTS were sinners but they were given by GOD a CHANCE to CHANGE, their stories would not have been the same if our God is not a forgiving God, their stories would not have been told if God is not a God of love and forgiveness.

Lastly, I am challenging and encouraging the government to personify Christ within its ambit. Let our government be a government of laws and not of men, and let it be a government of love and compassion and not be an instrument of hate and death. Amen

CHANGE BY WAY OF VIOLENCE?

By Bayawanon

The people have spoken and have elected a very popular Supreme National Leader in the last national elections. He was elected mainly because of his national agenda which is to effect CHANGE. He vowed to effect change by obliterating corruption, criminality and the proliferation of illegal drugs.

After having been elected to the highest elective position of the land, the Supreme National Leader has made his promise a reality regarding his war on illegal drugs. Plenty of crackdowns, arrests and killings in relation to his dreaded DRUG WAR happened, two thousand plus government led executions happened and four thousand plus vigilante killings came into being, all of which happened in the name of CHANGE and in the pursuit of a DRUG FREE Philippines.

The surveys would show that eighty percent of the PEOPLE WHO SEEK CHANGE approve the bloody moves of the State in its war against drugs. Does this mean that the people in general becomes blood thirsty in the pursuit of change? Change is good but it has to be effected in a humane manner, change has also to start from every citizen for the same starts from within.

Niccolo Machiavelli, one of the leading political thinkers of Europe during the medieval times had said and I quote that "the end justifies the means", applying this statement to the recent spate of killings IN RE:DRUG WAR, the end really justifies the means. However, in a christian nation and a democratic loving country like the Philippines, the end does not justify the means when human life is already disrespected and the democratic processes in connection to an individual's pursuit for happiness, liberty, life and property are already violated in the name of change.

FOUR REASONS WHY THE SPRATLYS IS SO IMPORTANT TO CHINA

The People's Republic of China is trying to move heaven and earth to have the Spratly Islands under its imperial dominance since the same is very important on the following grounds to wit:

1) The Spratlys is a good fishing ground for fishermen in the Southeast Asian and East Asian Regions -- Since the Spratlys is a good fishing ground, China is trying to do her best to have Spratlys by hook or by crook for the same can help feed the growing population of China which is considered to be the most populous country in the whole world;

2) The Spratlys has substantial amount of minerals and gases which may boost China's economy -- Another reason why China is so interested of the Spratlys is the fact that many geologists have tested the islands to be positive of minerals and gases which may be of great help for development of China's economy and industry if the same can be utilized for the further development of her economy and industry;

3) The Spratlys is a strategic location for China for purposes of Military Intelligence gathering -- Since the Spratlys can be found in he midst of the South China Sea known also as the West Philippine Sea it is a very strategic location for China to gather military information by way of satellite sleuthing coming from the Philippines a known American ally, from Malaysia a known British ally, from Indonesia a known Dutch ally, from Vietnam a surging territorial disputant, and even from Taiwan an old geopolitical enemy;

4) The Spratlys can be a good International Naval Traffic Base for China -- Due to the reason that the Spratly group of islands can be found in the midst of the South China Sea otherwise known as the West Philippine Sea, the same can be a good base for the Chinese Navy and Coastguard to man international navigation in the area. The Chinese Navy and Coastguard may have the power and brute force to control the international freedom of navigation which the foreign vessels coming from different countries of the world to the detriment of the same which would result to an unfair Chinese economic gain.

I hope that the arguments being presented shall be given weight and credence by the Supreme Leader of the Republic of the Philippines to reconsider his decision to abandon the decision of the International Arbitral Court of the Law on the Seas which gave a legal victory in favor of the Philippines in a case against China, since abandoning the same would do more harm than good against our very own native land.