Quiapo homily

June 18, 2018

Quiapo Church

1 Kings 21:1-16;   Matthew 5:38-42

Naimbitahan ako na magmisa dito sa Quiapo ng mga dalawang lingo nang nakaraan para sa nobena. Kilala ang Quiapo dahil sa Poong Senor Nazareno pero ang patron ng Simbahang ito ay si San Juan Buatista. Pinaghahandaan natin ang kanyang  kapistahan sa June 24. Nasa panahon tayo ngayon ng pagnonobena. Para sa atin sa simbahan ang pagnonobena ay paraan ng espiritual na paghahanda para sa fiesta. Sa siyam na araw nang sunod-sunod na pagdarasal at pagsisimba nabubuksan ang diwa natin sa pagdiriwang ng kapistahan.

Pero nagkataon din na ngayong araw ay ika-siyam na araw ng pagpatay kay Fr. Richmond Nilo ng diocesis ng Cabanatuan. Kaya ialay din natin ang misa na ito bilang pagsisiyam para sa kanyang kapahingahan. Bigla at hindi inaasahan ang pagpatay sa kanya. Bagaman naghahanda siya para sa misa, siguro naman hindi niya inaasahan na haharap sa siya sa Panginoon. Kaya tulungan natin siya ng ating panalangin. Salamat po sa inyong pagdalo para sa nobena na ito at para sa ating pasisiyam para kay Fr. Richmond.

Ang Bibliya ay hindi lingid sa kalagayan natin. Sinasalamin nito hindi lang ang kabutihan ng Diyos at ng tao. Pinapamukha din sa atin ang kasamaan ng tao sa kanyang kapwa, pati na ang kasamaan ng mga namumuno sa kanyang pinamumunuan. Iyan po ang unang pagbasa natin sa aklat ng mga Hari. Inapi, pinagsamantalahan, pinatay at inagaw ang ari-arian ni Nabat ng Haring si Acab at ng Reynang si Jezebel. Ayaw ibigay o ipagbili o ipagpalit man ni Nabat ang kanyang ubasan sa hari, kahit mas magandang lupa ang ipapalit sa kanya, dahil sa iyon ay minana niya sa kanyang mga ninuno. Ang ubasang iyon ay hindi lang ari-arian kundi isang biyaya ng Diyos sa kanilang pamilya at bawal na iyan ay mapasa-iba. Kaya may kaugalian sila na ang makabibili lang ng ari-arian ng pamilya na galing sa Diyos ay ang kamag-anak lamang. Hindi dapat ito malalayo sa pamilya. Alam ito ni Haring Acab dahil sa siya rin ay Israelita kaya wala siyang magawa kundi magmukmok at magtampo. Ngunit si Reynang Jezekel ay isang dayuhan na taga-Sidon. Hindi niya iginagalang ang kaugalian ng mga Israelita. Kaya siya ang gumawa ng paraan para pagbigyan ang layaw ng hari. Talagang layaw lang iyon. Hindi naman niya kailangan ang ubasang iyon. Gusto lang niya kasi katabi ng kanyang harden!

Ano ang paraan ni Jezebel? Una, ginamit niya ang kapangyarihan ng hari. Gumawa ng sulat at tinatakan ng tatak ng hari. Pangalawa, ginamit ang mga leaders of bayan. Inutusan niya ang mga ito at sunod-sunoran naman sila. Pangatlo ginamit ang relihiyon ng mga Hudyo – nagpatawag ng ayuno at ang bintang ay ang paglapastangan sa Diyos. Pang-apat, ginamit ang kasinungalingan, tumawag ng mga huwad na saksi. At panghuli, ginamit ang batas na nagsasabi na ang maglapastangan sa Diyos ay dapat batuhin hanggang mamatay.

Si Acab ay nabuhay ng mga 800 daang taon bago dumating si Jesus, samakatuwid, mga 2800 taon na mula sa ating panahon. Pero ang pangyayari na ating napakinggan ay sumasalamin sa ating kalagayan. Si Acab at si Jezebel ay gumamit ng kanilang pamumuno upang apihin ang kanilang pinamumunuan. Ginamit ang kanilang kapangyarihan upang mang-api at pumatay para lang makuha ang gusto nila. Hindi ba natin ito nakikita kay Duterte? Hindi ba natin nakikita na ginagmit din niya ang ibang mga leaders ng bayan para sa kanyang mga disegno? Ginagamit niya ang lower house sa pagsusulong ng kanyang panukala ng Death Penalty, ng impeachments, ng pagtatanggal ng budgets ng mga hindi sumusunod sa kanya, at ngayon, sa pagsusulong sa cha-cha at sa huwad na pangako ng federalism. Ginagamit niya, at nagpapakamit naman, ang mga justices ng corte suprema, sa mga gusto niya na ilibingh si Marcos sa Libingan ng mga Bayani, na panatalihin ang Martial Law sa Mindanao, at bukas, na patalsikin si CJ Sereno. Ginagamit niya ang kapulisan na pumatay na mga mahihirap sa bintang na gumagamit daw ng druga. Bakit mahihirap lang ba ang gumagamit ng drugs? Sila lang ang pinapatay kasi mahihirap lang ang kaya niya. Ang mga mayayaman at mga negosyante ay sinasayaw niya, tulad ng ginagawa niya sa Tsina. Gumagamit ng kasinungalingan para manira ng iba. Huwag na natin banggitin ang mga bayarang trolls at bayarang spokesmen and women na walang ginawa kundi pagtakpan at ipaliwanag ang mga kapalpakan niya. Ginagamit ang batas – to have a semblance of legality – in whatever he does. Talagang palaging napapanahon ang Bibliya. Ito ay nagsasalita sa atin. Sinasalamin niya sa ating ang ating kalagayan.

Ano ang gagawin natin?

Ang Bibliya ay hindi lang Lumang Tipan. Mayroon din siyang Bagong Tipan at dito nakalagay ang mga salita at pagkilos ni Jesus, ang Anak ng Diyos, ang Salita ng Diyos na naging tao. Hindi palaging madaling sundin ang aral ni Jesus. Pero hindi lang tayo pipili ng gusto nating sundin. Kung naniniwala tayo kay Jesus na siya ang Daan, Liwanag at Buhay, ang lahat ng kanyang salita ay dapat nating unawain ng maayos at sundin, kahit na mahirap. At ano ang aral niya sa atin ngayon? Huwag tayong maghiganti. Huwag nating gamitin ang mga sandata ng mang-aapi. Haharapin natin ang kasamaan ngunit hindi sa paraang ginagamit nito.

Kaya kung ang gobyerno ay gumagamit ng kapangyarihan, ng tao, ng kasinungalingan, ng tiwaling pag-unawa sa batas, at ng pagpapatay – hindi iyan ang gagamitin natin. Kapag tayo ay gumagamit ng sandata ng kasamaan, kahit na manalo pa tayo, naging masama na rin tayo. Natalo tayo ng kasamaan.

May headline kahapon na may mga pari kuno na nag-aarmas na rin para hindi sila mapatay. Hindi ko alam kung totoo ito. Kung totoo man, hindi ito tama. Ang baril ay hindi sandata ng pari. Kung hindi man ito maintindihan ng mga armadong grupo, at least sana tayong mga pari at kamadrehan ay nakakauna na ang kapayapaan ay hindi makukuha ng hindi mapayapang paraan. Ang pagpatay ay hindi masusulusyunan ng pagpapatay. Iyang dahilan ng self-defense ay masyadong overstretched.

Kahapon narinig natin ang sinabi ni San Pablo sa kanyang liham sa mga taga-Corinto: “Palaging malakas ang ating loob.” At bakit? “Sapagkat nabubuhay tayo batay sa pananalig sa Diyos at hindi sa mga bagay na nakikita.” We live by faith and not by sight. Kaya handa tayong iwanan ang buhay na ito na pansamantala upang maratnan ang tahanang pangmagkailaman. Hindi tayo mabubuhay ng wagas kung takot tayong mamatay! Kaya ang dapat pagsikapan natin ay, sa mabuhay man o sa mamatay, tayo ay kalugod-lugod sa Diyos

Kaya ano ang sandata natin? Baril? Hindi! SALITA! SALITA NG DIYOS! Ito ang ginamit si San Juan Bautista. Ito ang ginamit ni Jesus. Magpahayag! Magsalita! Mga kapatid, dito tayo nagkukulang ngayon. Ang tanong ng mga tao ay bakit tahimik ang simbahan? Hindi inaasahan ng mga tao na may baril ang mga taong simbahan. Inaasahan niyang magsalita ang taong simbahan – kaming mga Obispo, ang mga pari, ang mga kamadrehan, ang mga lay groups. Sa dami-dami natin hindi na tayo kailangang sumigaw pa. Magsalita lang tayong lahat, aalignawgnaw na ang tinig natin, maririnig ng buong bansa na masama ang pumatay, na huwag ng magsinungaling, na huwag ng magmura, na iligal ang quo warranto, na ayaw natin ng cha-cha, na itigil na ang EJK, na huwag nang ipagmigay ang Pilipinas sa Tsina. Magsalita! Ito ang ating sandata!

May isa pa tayong sandata: Panalangin. Bukas maririnig natin sa pagbasa sa ebanghelyo: Ipanalangin ninyo ang umuusig sa inyo! Mga kapatid, hindi pa sapat ang ating pagdasal. Dagdagan pa natin. Noong tinanong ng mga alagad bakit hindi nila mapalayas ang masamang espiritu sa bata, ang sagot ni Jesus ay “Mapapalayas lamang ang ganitong uri ng espiritu sa pamamagitan ng panalangin!” (Markos 9:29) Mapapalayas lang ang masamang espiritu sa Malacanang sa panalangin na may pananampalataya. Napapakita ang pananampalataya sa atin panalangin kung sinasamahan natin ito ng penitensiya, ng ayuno. Ganoon tayo kaserioso sa pagdarasal na ito ay may kalakip na ayuno. Ginagamit ba natin ng sapat ang sandatang ito?

Hindi ba ito rin ang ginawa ni San Juan Bautista? Siya ay kilala, maliban sa kanyang pagbibinyag,  sa kanyang umaapoy na salita at sa kanyang buhay panlangin at penitiensiya.

Labanan natin ang pang-aapi, ang pananakot, ang pagsisinungaling. Labanan natin ng ating SALITA. Huwang tayong manahimik. Labanan natin ng ating panalangin na may penitensiya. Simulan na natin ngayon sa misang ito.

He is to blame!

TOO many killings are happening in our country. Last week the Global Peace Index 2018 ranked the Philippines as the second ‘least peaceful’ country in Asia Pacific after North Korea. What a distinction!

Duterte tried to distance himself from the killings and the acts of violence. But it cannot be denied that these are happening under his watch. He also is a factor in this increase of violence. Violence generates violence. If the president of the land gives out violent words in almost all his talks, violence becomes his message. If he boasts of thousands of killings and that he will exonerate his police force if they kill drug addicts, this robs on the people. If after more than 22,000 killed “under investigation” no one has been held accountable, then the message becomes clear that one can kill--for whatever reason--because the police is either so inept that they will not be able to hold anyone liable, or they can easily be bought so that no one will be caught and put on trial--as long as one is in good odor with the administration. In this sense Duterte has furthered the culture of violence in the country, and with it, the culture of impunity.

The same can be said about the boldness of China to claim our islands, to build on them, and to send military hardware on them. Duterte and his administration have not made any fuss on China’s moves and aggressiveness. He  just jokes about them and even makes innuendoes that China will protect him and not allow him to fall. If this is the message he sends out, China on its part will not hesitate to do what it wants. So again we can say that Duterte has a great influence in the Chinese aggression even if he does not have any direct hand in it. There is not even any strongly worded protest against our big neighbor even if our fisher folks are already being harassed in our own territories! The Chinese have even the gall to claim that it is by their own good will that Filipinos fish in their (that is, our) seas.

We have to bear in mind that China is not one given to the defense of human rights nor to the rule of law. In fact it does not accept international law if it is not to its advantage. Unlike other democracies which are accountable to its constituents, China is accountable to none. It is not a democracy.  There will not be people who will rally against the government because it has oppressed or been unjust to other small countries. Chinese leaders do not consider the sentiments of its peoples and they are not ruled by any code of ethics. Many leaders of Western countries can still say that they follow the Judeo-Christian ethics. Hence they are so sensitive to human rights. Muslim leaders still follow the ethics of the Qur’an. Chinese leaders do not follow any ethical standard at all, except what is pragmatic and to their advantage. This is clearly seen in the case of Tibet. It really used its might to bully a poor neighbor. It can do the same in the Western Philippine Sea. China can easily bully us too if we allow it to gain any foothold in our territories and in our policies. Duterte too is playing the same game. He has no moral compass to guide him. There is even no love of country. He is plane pragmatic. He uses situations just to his own advantage. He does not care about the Filipinos nor about the future of the country.

Increasing Lawlessness

ANOTHER priest has been murdered.

Last night, June 10, Fr. Richmond Nilo, parish priest of Zaragosa in Nueva Ecija of the diocese of Cabanatuan, was gunned down and killed instantly in the early evening as he was about to celebrate mass in the barangay chapel of Mayamot. Six Sundays ago, Fr. Mark Anthony Ventura was also killed – gunned down – in Gattaran town in Cagayan Valley after celebrating morning mass. He was still in his priestly garb. Both of them were killed as priests. Mistaken identity could not be a reason. They were really killed because they are priests.

This is a very bad sign in the situation of the country now. There is no more consideration of who or what a person is. If people could be so brazen as to kill a priest as he is about to celebrate mass or has just celebrated mass on a Sunday, then who could be safe? There is really no longer any fear of God.

Are these two killings related? We cannot say. It is not only too early to say but the police are so inept that we may never be able to know the facts and the perpetrators. Many high profile killings are not solved – with so many other killings of priests, like the killing of Fr. Tito Paez in December 2017 also in Cabanatuan and even up to killing of Fr. Pops Tintorio in October of 2011 in North Cotabato remains unsolved, or intentionally left unsolved. If killings of priests are left unsolved, then what can the ordinary citizen expect? Thus the more the 20,000 killings in the name of war on drugs are filed “under investigation.” They will remain unsolved!

There is indeed an increasing lawlessness in the country. Why? Not because the police or the military do not have enough power; but because there is a culture of impunity in the country. Those who do wrong are not held accountable while those declared “enemies” of Duterte are made to face flimsy  and even trumped up cases, like in the case of Sen Delima, CJ Sereno, Sr. Pat Fox and many lumad and farmer leaders in Mindanao.

Is this sense of lawlessness deliberately created? Some with naughty minds may think so. Like in the time of Marcos, when a “state of anarchy” was created to justify the declaration of Martial Law, it may not be far-fetched to sense that these killings are executed to create a sense of helplessness to justify a declaration of nationwide Martial Law. It is not Martial Law that can stop lawlessness. In fact it will bring about more lawlessness because all the more the police and the military will pursue their operations without any accountability to civilian authorities. More impartial and independent investigations are what we need. More accountability of the government to the people should be the call. The people then have to be more active and vocal to call for accountability. Huwag tayo matakot at huwag tayo magpabaya. No one is now safe. Kaya makialam na tayong lahat!

Consequences of the Quo Warranto Decision of May 11

Much has been written on why the Quo Warranto Decision of the Supreme Court on May 11 was flawed. Legal luminaries, former chief justices, numerous lawyers groups, church people, academic circles, NGO leaders, politicians and many others have expressed and continue to express their indignation at the blatant disregard for the Philippine Constitutions and for the rules of law. Of course there are also defenders of the decision but their arguments are so flimsy. From now on, it could nolonger be invoked that because a decision comes from the Supreme Court it has to be right. The High Court has made an enormous blunder, and it will take a lot of effort – and perhaps time – to redeem itself, if ever.

But some are asking, does it really matter that the decision was reached in this way? The process may be wrong, but what consequences will it have in our democratic life?

From a non-lawyer’s point of view, here are some of the consequences of such a decision:

1. It tells us that the justices of the Supreme Court cannot be trusted in interpreting the Constitution. With convoluted arguments they can bend the interpretation according to their purposes. This case clearly bears this out.

2. The decision to oust the Chief Justice of the land sends a signal that nobody is safe in the country anymore. If the Chief Justice herself cannot get justice, who else can? I do not say that the Chief Justice is without fault. I just ask that she be tried in the proper forum – in the senate according to impeachment rules where she can defend herself.

3. No appointed officials, even of constitutional bodies such as the ombudsman, the commissioner on audit and the commissioner of the COMELEC, can be free from now on from undue pressure in doing their job. They have to kowtow to those in power or else they can be eased from their office by means not even provided by law.

4. The Supreme Court is now seen as a Duterte Court. It has lost its independence from the executive branch. It can no longer put a check to the whims of the one in power.

5. The justices in the Supreme Court can easily become a barkadahan of likeminded persons. Anyone with a different view can be taken out by themselves. Not only does the Supreme Court as an institution lost its independence. Each of the justices has lost his/her independence. Each has to look over his/her shoulder if his/her decisions and wayswill sit well with the gang. Objective justice will not anymore be the main concern. Who can trust such a court?

The quo warranto decision and how it was arrived at have brought down the Supreme Court. People are protesting because they know that it is also bringing down our democracy. Dictatorial rule is already upon us. Can we take this without a whimper?

Lights in Defeat

THE petition on the Quo Warranto has been granted by the justices in the Supreme Court with a vote of 8-6. In effect the justices have ousted SC Sereno from being the Chief Justice. This is a big defeat for thousands of lawyers, civil society people, leaders of the academe, religious people, students and many other groups and sectors in society who have lobbied, prayed and even marched in front of the Supreme Court for several days to warn the justices and the people at large of the subversion of democracy in the country if the Chief Justice is removed by the Quo Warranto. In spite of all these warnings, rallies and prayers the justices stone-heartedly approved the petition.

In this darkness of defeat, however, lights of hope have shone . This somehow is a reflection of the Paschal Mystery where life came out of death. The Jericho March was a success. The walls of Jericho fell when the Israelites marched around it. The Supreme Court building did not fall down when Evangelicals and Catholics marched around the block of the Supreme Court early this morning. But the Supreme Court fell today. It self-destructed by granting the Quo Warranto. It fell from its being a bastion of independence in our democratic system. It lost the esteem and even the respect of the people. It has shown its true and unmistakable color of being now a tool of Duterte. It is now a Duterte Court.

Another light: the quo warranto issue has united broad segments’ of Philippine society. Evangelicals and Catholics have come together, so also Church people and civic organizations.  Urban poor organizations have joined forces with the middle class. Student organizations have been organized. Groups from different political spectrums marched together. The various colors of flags that flown this morning  along Taft Avenue and Padre Faura Street was a sight to see. Speakers from various persuasions spoke out in a hastily built stage in Taft Avenue in the morning, with claps of approval coming from all.

The decision of the justices has heightened the level of engagement of the groups. Yes, there is anger at eight justices who voted for the quo warranto, but more than that, people have already openly expressed the call for Duterte to resign. The fight now moves from the Supreme Court to Malacanang because people clearly see now the dictatorial moves of the Duterte regime. It has become unmistakable.

The decision did not dampen the mood of the people. It angers them all the more. They resolve to more actions is palpable in the hearts and speeches of many. Expect more mobilizations. Expect more protests. Expect more unmasking of the hypocrisy of Duterte and his cohorts.

As CJ Sereno said in her short speech before the crowd around noon, we did not really lose. If the 6 justices who have already accused her had inhibited themselves, as they should have done if there was an iota of decency in them, the vote would have been 6-2, with 6 dismissing the quo warranto petition. If the playing field were level, the petition would have been squashed. How could accusers take the function of judges? Is there justice here?

The Supreme Court has fallen. Malacanang will be the next!

Suspicious haste

SUDDENLY the justices of the Supreme Court are so eager to solve a case. The Supreme Court is not an institution known for coming up with fast decisions. We give it the benefit of the doubt--maybe there are so circumspect in studying the cases in front of them, maybe they are so overloaded with many important cases, maybe they take a looong time to deliberate because of the weightiness of their decisions. Then all of a sudden they decided to break their summer vacation to deliberate on the case of CJ Sereno on the Quo Warranto petition! Not only that! They agreed to move their meeting one week earlier, from May 17 as originated set, to May 11.  Not only that! Even before their meeting, leaks have already come out that the decision is already done to oust Sereno! Suddenly the Supreme Court justices have been prompt – suspiciously too prompt even - to give a decision on the quo warranto petition. Why are they hurrying? What could the reasons behind the suspicious haste?

Is it really so important that Sereno should be ousted at this time? The matter of the SALN that is the reason why they claim the appointment of Sereno is defective is the same matter that is set on the impeachment case against her in congress. Why not let the Chief Justice  go through the usual and uncontroversial route of the impeachment process? I suspect that the SALN case is weak, and it may not get the nod of the senators. I suspect that in the impeachment process in the Senate CJ Sereno can have the chance to explain herself in public on this matter while in the quo warranto case the poor lady does not have her day in court. I suspect that the aggrieved justices want to execute the Chief Justice by their own hands, rather than give her the chance to exonerate herself. I suspect that the brains behind this dubious scheme does not want the public to have the time to digest the meaning of the case against the  Chief Justice. Oh, so many theories can be conjured because of the suspicious haste that this matter is being pursued.

But the people will not stand by. Most of the Filipino people do not know the intricacies of the law but they have their own sense of what is right and what is wrong, and they are not fooled even by those who claim to hold the office of interpreting the law. The manipulation of interpreting the law is so blatant! The schemes to control the Supreme Court and the institutions of democracy in the country are so glaring! The end game is total control of the government and manipulation of the people! The innate sense of the people is aware of this and the people will move, maybe not as fast as the justices now, but they will move and hold the schemers accountable!