"Blessed are the peacemakers,” the Lord says.
MATTHEW 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Peacemakers can be recognized in the midst of misunderstanding or where confusion is. The Bible clearly states that.
JAMES 3:16, 15
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
The ascension of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to power was done in peace. Biblically speaking, his government is a government allowed by God – ordained by God.
THE ROMANS 13:1
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Although, it is one of the most contested elections in the history of the Philippines, Aquino won by a majority of votes of his countrymen, the Filipinos. His government is legal; his mandate is provided for by the Constitution, and must be respected by every law-abiding citizen, especially the clergy wanting him to step down.
There are praise-worthy achievements of the Noynoy Administration that did not happen during the past administration. I will just mention a few to underscore his anti-corruption campaign:
1. EXPOSURE OF THE PDAF SCAM - On 2013, President Aquino ordered the Department of Justice to conduct an "extensive and fair probe" of the PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) scam. On August 28, 2013. The NBI and Justice Secretary, Leila De Lima filed the cases of plunder and malversation of public funds against businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, Senators Ramon Revilla Jr., Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and five former representatives on September 16. On November 19, The Supreme Court declared PDAF as unconstitutional.
2. Plunder Case VS. Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo - Plunder raps filed, vs. GMA- After two years in office, the first plunder case vs. GMA has finally been filed in court. (2010)
3. Corona impeachment - On December 12, 2011, Supreme Court Justice Renato Corona was impeached by the House of Representatives. On May 29, 2012, he was found guilty by the Senate of violating Article II of the Articles of Impeachment filed against him pertaining to his failure to disclose his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth to the public.
Source: http://www.gov.ph/aquino-administration/good-governance-and-anti-corruption/
If there be lapses in the government, I believe it was not intentionally done by the President. We must remember that there are other people surrounding the Chief Executive whose actions, sometimes, are motivated by influences of people who are power-hungry and corrupt. These we must not blame on Noynoy.
There are signs we have to consider in knowing the real person of a person. For example, mistakes are not the defining factor on the character of any person. Everyone - even the earlier Christians considered saints who lived on earth – had committed mistakes. Only the Lord Jesus Christ did not sin. The Bible underscores that.
ECCLESIASTES 7:20
For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
I PETER 2:22
Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
For a President to have the balls to criticize powerful television networks with the most influential newscasters, displays his not being hypocrite. I believe Noynoy is not a hypocrite. He speaks straightforward like his father did. He speaks in the open without fear and without any insecurity.
PROVERBS 28:23
He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favor than he that flattereth with the tongue.
PROVERBS 27:6
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
And when people do that, the clear intention is to instill the need for change – the need for introspection and for improvement. We should rather be thankful then. We must learn from experience. Peace is a very valuable essence of life. It comes from God. The opposite that is chaos, comes from the devil.
We must learn from what happened in Egypt, in Syria, in Libya, in Nigeria, and similar places. Destabilization is costly. It claims lives and destruction of properties among the populace. I pray it will not happen in our country.
We must, as a people, work together for the preservation of peace.
THE ROMANS 12:18
If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
To call for the resignation of a legally elected President is most certainly unfair. Aquino was elected without fraud. He was not involved in any form of the "Hello Garci" of Gloria Arroyo. There was none of interventions of some unscrupulous COMELEC officials.
The fate of the gallant SAF44 who died in line of duty was not the fault of the President! Instead of calling for his resignation, let us rally behind him in helping these fallen heroes.
A week before the former President Joseph Estrada was forced out of office, I was with him in some two or three friendly dinners. He showed me, with the late President-to-be Fernando Poe Jr., some abuses, cruelty, and injustice being done by some sectors even by the richest in society.
But to uphold justice, Estrada had to decide against the influential. A son of an influential rich was even there in one occasion where I said, "Tell your father to cooperate with the President." Because of his inclination to protect the poor, (I believe he was sincere) influential sectors worked for Estrada’s ouster!
What followed after that is a history of the most corrupt regime in Philippine politics! The people have the right to information. Media, however, is amiss in this regard. There are men and women of the media that are paid to twist the truth, suppress the truth, or slant the information to the liking of their client. I know that, having been a victim of this malpractice.
I am thankful that by talking to an incumbent President in office, I have known some secrets unknown to many. Emmanuel Soriano, the former President of the University of the Philippines, my cousin, was one resource person. Soriano who formally launched the candidacy of President Cory Aquino had confided to me also some playful tactics of influential politicians. Wilhelm Soriano, also a relative, a former Human Rights Commissioner, whispered to me a magic that was done with the funds of the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA). And these all involved corrupt people, the kind that Aquino would not pass unsanctioned. These things and the like, denying people's trust, I have not heard in the government of Noynoy.
This is the first time I am writing or speaking for a President of the Land. I was not paid to write - and I am saying this as some of his enemies might wonder! My conscience as a Christian tells me to speak up to help in the preservation of peace in my beloved country - my beloved country, from where I was driven by circumstances to leave because of a corrupt regime – Gloria Arroyo’s.
I remember the former Solicitor General Frank Chavez who with two judges told me, "Leave as early as possible!"
And the rest is history!
God bless the Philippines!
