Duty and legacy

“No personal consideration should stand in the way of performing a public duty.” – Ulysses S. Grant

AMONG the finest moments in the life of ordinary mortals is doing public duty at the risk of losing a friend. And because it is truism that human beings are not like small islands in the vast expanse of the ocean, we cringe at the thought of doing our duty but in so doing hurt a friend. However, when one is at the twilight of his borrowed life the idea of leaving a legacy to one’s family, no matter how lowly, is supreme. But because God is good, whenever He brings us to the deep, He does so not to drown us but to cleanse us and help us catch the prize tuna. And that’s exactly what happened the other day.

A client is losing half a million pesos a day since a court issued an ex parte preliminary attachment on May 4, 2015. Without touching on the merits of the case, I chose legacy rather than friendship. And paraphrasing an archaic decision of the Supreme Court on the definition of what the cold neutrality of an impartial judge, the verdict reads: “The cold neutrality of an impartial judge is like a flower, once its bloom is lost hardly is it ever restored.” And, lo and behold, the good judge chose voluntary inhibition and reclusion from the case. In so doing, he proved to my suspecting client and to yours truly that the cold neutrality of an impartial judge is still supreme even now in this part of the country.

Thank you, Lord. And thank you Honorable Judge for choosing legacy without losing friendship and in the same vein, you helped us retain our unsullied respect to our courts of law and equity at a time when many fall astray.This does not mean, however, that I will not pursue to seriously investigate the shenanigans among the few court personnel who willfully tamper the records for unsavory grease at the expense of the many who are good and deserving public servants.

My special thanks goes to the Solomonic wisdom of our honorable Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Dennis Alcantar who advised: “Whenever a serious suspicion comes in the way of impartiality, the best solution is to voluntarily inhibit.” And to the many court personnel in our city who go out of their way to serve the public, please accept my smartest salute to you. But to the few scalawags: I’ll “morning the night” to have you fired. Wa mo kyapi!
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“Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.” –Lincoln Last Monday was the second consecutive “flagaising ceremony” that yours truly and a good many were forced witnesses of how unscrupulous elective public servants in the City of Cagayan de Oro hold hostage public service for a pre-conceived pogi points. Undoubtedly, the weekly celebration law of respecting our flag is not a bad law. But holding singing, dancing and poor public politicking sessions for hours (the last two Mondays, until 10:20 am) is a sin, to say that least.

As I was perspiring all over, I clearly overheard the uncomfortable murmuring crowd saying: “Maau pa si Governor Bambi kay ang ilang flag raising ceremony gasugod gyud sa alas siete og mahuman dayon pagka alas otso. Dalaygon ka, Hon. Gov. Bambi Emano!”
Thanks to the good presiding judge of RTC-21, the honorable Gil Bollozos, because right after the economical prayer, he immediately instructed his court personnel to be inside the borrowed court room by 9 am every Monday and saying: “I don’t like lawyers, clients, and their friends standing for hours while waiting for cases to begin.” Sadly, because we have a mayor who knows it all and has never heard of the words “listen, without being deaf,” let us just ask: What about it, Mayor Oscar Moreno?
Tsada, di ba?
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If only to be true to my most steadfast opposition to the BBL––“Bahin Bahin Lang”––I’m duty-bound to print what broadcasters call “blind item.” Here goes: “d true interest ng bbl is d vast liguasan marsh area, majority occupied by maguindanaws, a fertile marshy of crude oil, explored already my Malaysian government, but d whole area was already under d so-called voluntary offer to sale (VOS), dat is still a silent issue about liguasan marsh now, only landbank officials could explain, no government projects has been implemented and money was used by unscrupulous loaners using fictitious land titles, kindly scrutinize sir, manila boys are making mandanawons/cotabateneos fried chickens using our own body mess, dapat ma sa publiko ito at masagot ng governo.” (from a retired and threatened landbank employee)

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“In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can to do me.” –Psalms LVI. 11

Thank you Lord for everything. And Lord God, kindly implant in our leaders honesty, humility and transparency in their solemn task as our servant-leaders because those who have less in life are the sovereign and very source of their borrowed power and wealth. Finally, Lord, enlighten our leaders to see the light that greed is a flawed way of life. For truly, there is more profit in giving than in taking. For it is in giving that we receive. Truly, love begets love. Amen!

(Call or text 09188030197, email to bagabuyos@yahoo.com, and check out iluvmindanao.net)