Butch Bagabuyo “The important thing is not to know more than all men, but to know more at each moment than any particular man.” – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749-1832) German Poet, Dramatist YESTERDAY, being the second “Misa de Gallo,” the gospel reading was a fitting reminder to us, Catholics, that we have proof that Jesus Christ is our redeemer based on what was written on the Bible. In a way, the gospel taught us that in relation to our politics, Senator Grace has a daunting task of proving she is a natural born Filipino citizen based on our 1987 Constitution simply because our constitution does not define a foundling as a natural born citizen. Also, her certificate of candidacy for the presidency is materially unlike her certificate of candidacy as a senator which she herself filed only in 2013. Since both documents speak of material misrepresentation as ground for disqualification, there is good reason to believe that Senator Grace will have to be disqualified by the Coelec en banc. Ergo, she and her supporters will have to go to our Supreme Court on question of law, it being our last bulwark of democracy. Considering, however that our 1987 Constitution recognizes the people as the sovereign and therefore higher than the constitution, I would like to believe that the only win-win solution is for the Supreme Court to issue an SQA (Status Quo Ante) after the Comelec disqualifies Senator Grace from the election for the presidency. By so doing, the Supreme Court thereby throws back to the electorate the wisdom of the legal principle: Vox Populi Vox Dei (The voice of the people is the voice of God). If and when that happens and Senator Grace loses in the election, she will have no one to blame but her own debilitating greed based on these compelling and uncontested rationale:
  • At the time when her own adoptive father, FPJ, ran for president and needed her, she was nowhere to be found. And even after the burial of FPJ but prior to her appointment by PNoy as chairperson of the country’s regulatory board on the film industry, the lady senator showed no interest in re-acquiring her citizenship as a Filipino for our people and our country.
  • After her election as senator, she did nothing about foundlings in our country by filing legislation to overhaul our 1987 Constitution prior to the “clamor” by the elite, the Hyatt 10 and the very few powerful members of the Church for her to aspire for higher public office.
  • Until today, long after her legal counsel was practically forced to admit material misrepresentation in her COC, Senator Grace has not issued a public apology for “an honest mistake” no matter how material the discrepancy be to the mandatory 10-year residency requirement for the presidency of our country.
  • Every Pinoy knows that our 1987 Constitution is substantially flawed but all that Senator Grace is interested in is the amendment on the economic provisions when our country is in dire need of changing the present constitution to a federal-parliamentary government, if only to spread governance to its lowest level--the family.
  • •
“All creatures kill--there seems to be no exception. But of the whole list man is the only one that kills for fun; he is the only one that kills in malice; the only one that kills for revenge.”--Mark Twain (1835-1910) American author Killing in our country spawned by the culture of impunity as the necessary consequence of drug addiction and loss of human respect and dignity has reached its apec, and must therefore come to an immediate end. Since leadership defines a country and its people, right now, most Mindanaoans and practically all the poor people of our country are enamored and fascinated by our man: tough-talking and action-agad Davao Mayor Rodrigo “Super Digong” Duterte. Undoubtedly, “Super Digong” is not an angel. But neither is he a plunderer who has practically made a business metropolis as his own and family business park. The majority of our people cannot stomach a bravado who has proven to be without any executive ability to run a country for he is a spineless who cannot stand on his own in the face of the massacre of the 44 brave SAF commandos by the conjoined MILF-BIFF armed rebels. Because our media knows how make the most of whatever is happening, not a few more “popish than the pope” have made pronouncements condemning Roxas and Duterte but unwittingly  shamed all of us as a people and a country. Because our politicians are most eager to earn “pogi points” at the least cost, we can only hope and pray that we, the Catholics, observe religiously our traditional “Misa de Gallo” and begin to realize that unless we follow the way of our more than just a rock superstar,  Pope Francis, the true follower-servant of St. Francis of Assisi, we would not be able to help our own selves and Pope Francis make this liturgical year (November 2015 to December 2016) of mercy a resounding success. Tsada di ba?