On killings, tigkiriwi and gambling
N
EGROS the island today is in the spotlight due to the murder and extrajudicial killings happening in the northern, southern and oriental side of the island. The Bishops of Negros had come out with their collegial statements amid these killings. Individually they came with their pastoral letters and action in their respective Dioceses. As a collective act, they request for the tolling of bells every 8 p.m. and the mandatory praying for peace (Oratio Imperata). They are doing their pastoral and spiritual care for the people of God. Other groups have also come out and condemned the irrational and indiscriminate killings in our island. Our brethren belonging to the revolutionary movement and embracing a different ideology as ours become the target of criticism and blame. Although they do not claim to kill innocent individuals, they are being pointed upon by the “Intelligence Committee.”
This is now the time to check if the PNP policies and mandate on peace and order are still relevant. They might only be good in papers. The Armed Forces are quick to respond to the problem. They will be sending in more troops to the island and may recommend to declare a state of emergency in the island. But having force with force will only result in great violence and worst, it will simply end with more dead bodies. Government has to remind itself that all conflicts can end on the table for negotiations otherwise all will be losers in “war.” My professor in Social Philosophy once told me that in war or violence, there are no winners, only casualties.
To put an end to all these killings, the people should do something. We need to rally behind the leaders who despise killings and murder and put to the chair of justice those leaders who seem to be apathetic at the issues of the day. Clean-up, demolitions, graft and corruption, infrastructure development and other recurring issues must not only be the concern of our leaders. They have to be concerned with the issues of the day and must take them seriously.
A few days ago, President Duterte suspended PCSO games and few days after restored the lotto operations in the country while still halting other small franchises of PCSO. On the other hand, he praised
PAGCOR in his SONA for giving his administration a greater slice of their pie. He even encouraged PAGCOR to do more (magsugal pa kayo). I cannot understand the standard of morality of the President, does he even have one? Is he against gambling or is he just simply after the revenue? I was taught that gambling is unethical because one would put his or her fate on it and would no longer do more. It is a game of chance and no one wins except the bank (Banca). It is immoral for we put our end or purpose on the game of chance. The government legalizes gambling to make it as a revenue source. Even if an act is immoral or unethical but it pays taxes and revenues, then it becomes legal. “Not all legal is moral” is an old cliché that keeps on ringing but in this country, what is legal automatically becomes moral and even ethical. The inconsistency of the Duterte says it all.
Welcome lean months, Tiempos Muertos or tigkiriwi! August is usually, the dead season in Negros Occidental. It is a time when sugar centrals clean their machines and it is off-season. The palay plantations are not yet ripe for harvest and investors are not coming in. Foreign Tourists are going home and people prepare for the opening of classes. Parents are opening their piggy banks for the payment of school requirements. This is the time where we are reminded of the good times and the time of abundance. This is the time where we sit down and reflect on what have we done. If we had done good, then there is nothing to be sad of. If we have not done well, do not despair, the happy times are just around the corner. September and the “ber” months are coming.
St. Ezekiel Moreno, ST. Sebastian, St. Catherine of Alexandria, St. Francis Xavier and St. Charles Borromeo, pray for us.*
“ASOCIETY should be judged not by how it treats its outstanding citizens but by how it treats its criminals.” Dostoevsky
“I was in prison and you visited me.” Jesus Christ FYODOR Dostoevsky observed this in reaction to the cruel penal system of Russia which in his time was predominantly Orthodox Catholic. His statement should apply more to Christian societies because of what Jesus Christ says should be a Christian’s attitude towards prisoners.
We are the only Christian country in this corner of the world, yet our jail system is anything but Christian. It is not even humane. Where we should work to rehabilitate society’s erring members, most of them Catholics, our jails are pure places of punishment that breed more than prevent the commission of crimes.
Our jails are overcrowded, but why? How many are in jail because they cannot afford bail? How many are in jail awaiting trial because courts are slow to act on their cases? How many innocents are in jail because the police planted evidence against them or the judge was bribed to disregard evidence of their innocence? How many are returnees, having been in jail one or more times before?
We cannot just build more jails. We have to eliminate the causes of overcrowding which can be found in fatal flaws of our justice and penal systems. As long as these are uncorrected our need for more and bigger jails will be endless.
Moreover, as long as judges and policemen accept bribes, the former to disregard and the latter to plant evidence, the fear of many antis is justified that the death penalty will snuff the life only of poor criminals or innocent victims of our two-tiered justice system. Rich drug lords, rich government plunderers, etc. will not stop their heinous criminal activities knowing their money can save their necks every time.
Rather than debate, therefore, on the morality and effectiveness of the death penalty, Philippine society, led by its moral and spiritual mentors, Catholic bishops and clergy, should actively advocate for badly needed essential reforms in our justice and penal or jail systems.
It is right of the hierarchy and clergy of the Philippine Catholic Church to stand squarely on the anti side of the death penalty debate. Nevertheless they must be called out for a disappointing prison apostolate. They have to be called out for taking care only of their outstanding members (the regular Church-goers) and neglecting its needy and errant members.
Punishment is not necessarily the best deterrent to the commission of a crime. But if punishment must be meted it must not stifle the criminal’s human capacity to recover from his misdeeds. This is Christ’s way and how long have we been Christians, almost 500 years now?