TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON

As the nation commemorates the 29^th anniversary of Sen. Ninoy Aquino’s assassination at the hands of government agents (whose mastermind has not yet been uncovered until now), we find ourselves bereaved by reports of the morning undersea finding of the remains of DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo and of the two pilots inside their overturned Piper Seneca at the bottom of Masbate Bay, which curiously, as a substitute plane, suffered mechanical problems in mid-flight. 

Nonetheless, “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. A time to give birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, NABRE)

By the way he lived his life, Secretary Robledo was a man of courage; he acted in spite of fears, doubts, worries and anxieties. The following words of King David must have been part of his being: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.” (Psalms 23:4, NABRE)

We might think he has been taken prematurely. But, maybe, ours is not to complain. “For that which is corruptible must clothe itself with incorruptibility, and that which is mortal must clothe itself with immortality. And when this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality, then the word that is written shall come about: “Death is swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:53-58, NABRE, underlining supplied) And Secretary Robledo, in his firmness, steadfastness and devotedness to the work of the Lord (through his love of neighbor), has simply been sent ahead, for his labors have not been in vain.

In his devotion to honor, country and family, Secretary Jesse lived in the love of God. For nothing separates us from the love of Jesus. “What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?” … “No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35, 37-39, NABRE, underlining supplied).

We might want to consider the perspective that in this earth realm - dominated by powers and principalities - apparently random events of evil do happen, by accident or by human agency. We might presume, as we are wont in our human presumption, that God - The Creator – gets affected when these things happen. But he has equipped mankind with a sovereign free will; so God cannot force and micromanage man or spirit agents to do things His way. He has also set natural physical laws to operate on their own. The Lord, then, has to allow events to transpire, let innocents undergo evil, have evil-doers suffer the consequences of their actions sooner or later, and let the workings of physical laws take effect. But God always has a reason or arrangement for good in the long run, as He had with Joseph and his brothers: “It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you.” (Genesis 45:5; Read Genesis Chapters 37 then 39 to 45). In that sense, “everything happens for a reason” and that reason is there to assist us. 

And we can say, all things work together for good… as: “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”  (Romans 8:28, NABRE)

On our part, given that “nothing has meaning except the meaning we give it” (Eker, The Millionaire Mind), we could choose to understand the events that took the life of Secretary Robledo (and brought out tremendous national and international cooperation for search, rescue and recovery) as a turn of happenings that calls for more political engagement on the part of the citizenry.  

This nation of close to a 100 million people have more than enough qualified and competent citizens who can effectively assume the responsibilities of Secretary of the Interior and Local Government.  But probably some of these capable citizens are not within the immediate range of the President’s attention or those of his close advisers. We, the sovereign citizens, should help by submitting names we know to be eligible and skilled, and let the President know we demand that he choose the best in terms of caliber and expertise not in terms of connections to those with connection.

Things happen and we move on. A strong load-bearing pillar has been taken away from us. Perhaps, we the people are now expected to effectively carry the load of good governance (as it ought to be in a dynamic democracy) by using our popular, democratic instruments (internet, social network sites, all types of active participation) to ensure transparency and accountability of public officials, which no one person alone - no matter how moral and effective - can really accomplish; because good governance is essentially, in the words of Dr. Jose Rizal, a correlation of people and government.  In "The Indolence of the Filipinos", La Solidaridad, 15 Sept 1890, p. 202, Dr. Rizal wrote: "People and government are correlated and complementary. A stupid government is an anomaly among a righteous people, just as a corrupt people cannot exist under just rulers and wise laws." (Underlining supplied).

I submit meaningful societal change in our country has a better hope of realization in the democratic engagement of our citizenry in the ways of righteousness, than in the chance that our political classes (who have no qualms about using all legal, extra-legal and illegal means to win and stay in power) will become just rulers and pass wise laws. Secretary Robledo was an exception.