Truth justice peace and power
Thus stands the tripod whereupon development depends from on and stands on. In the same way, deceit, iniquity and dissension guarantee and promote socio-economic retrogression. The triumph of truth brings about justice. The reign of justice ushers in peace. These observations are not simply academically understandable but also empirically true. When there is prevalent falsity, then there is a regime of injustice and thus come to fore all kinds of unending resentment and discontentment in different places, in different degrees and different manifestations as well.
Thus it is that even the Philippine Constitution provides: “The State shall promote social justice in all phases of national development.” (State Policies, Sec. 10 ). This signal and candid constitutional provision equivalently says: One, with social justice goes development. Two, deterioration goes with social injustice. Three, take a good look around and know how this Country fares in conjunction with the above cited not simply logical but also realistic State Policy.
To put it more bluntly, injustice is a social curse. When the powerful and the wealthy are above the law, when the poor and miserable are crowding local jails and prisons, when the law is used to oppress and not to liberate, then something is not merely wrong but also appalling and revolting. Injustice is the supreme guarantee of individual disgust and/or social discontent. Justice is such an elementary mandate that there is nothing like injustice to foment not merely division, not simply revolution but war even.
Take away but a candy from but a little child, and this will most probably cry as a matter of course. The child feels that the candy is his or hers. Thus when taken away, the child is offended by the injustice of losing it. If this is true with but children, it is not hard to imagine what injustice does to an adult, how does this feel, what the same will do. If one is poor because this is aware or knows that he or she is indolent and/or vicious, if somebody is prosecuted for a wrong doing, and if someone is jailed because of his or her proven wrongdoing, then the subject party knows in conscience that justice is simply served – even though the same may register strong protests every now and then.
The cardinal question that now comes to mind is precisely the following – a query that is admittedly shameful to think about, as well as embarrassing to ask: Is a dysfunctional justice system the main legacy of this no less than some nine year old reigning administration to the Country? A negative answer thereto would require much explaining to do, and would demand much more to make it convincing.