Viewpoints
“Presumed guilty until…”
By Oscar V. Cruz JCD
THIS is not meant to censure or absolve anybody from any past and present wrong doings—in line with the now much claimed and loudly proclaimed jingle of “Matuid na Daan”. This is neither the least intended to condemn or honor those families and individuals perceived as thieves and cheats on the occasion of the previously gloriously reigning government. This is merely aimed at calling attention to voices raised here and there, about the way the principles of justice are applied during this noisy opera of avowed expurgation of bad people under the baton of the present administration.
There is consecrated norm of justice that persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. This rule is not only based on the fundamental rule of prudence and equity but also anchored on procedural pursuit of objective truth that precisely brings about genuine justice. Oh yes, criminals should go to jail once so proven by proper judicial inquiry. This is precisely the rationale of the nature and finality of the whole Justice System. Without this, there would be but the rule of the jungle in a country.
If it were really true and actually meant, it if were a principle and not merely a convenient excuse, it if were upheld and applied to foes and friends alike, treading the straight path is but the plain dictate of ethics and elementary norm of morals. But the moment there are exceptions for whatever consideration—blood, gratitude, friendship—then the right road is in effect, neither here nor there.
Saying it more clearly, for the ruling government there appears to be a marked duplicity in the administration of justice. For those that caught its ire, they are sadly presumed guilty until proven innocent. However, for those whose fortune and blessing it is to belong to the famous “K.K.K.”, yes, these are predictably presumed very innocent until meticulously proven guilty—whenever, if ever.
The above disturbing and depressing phenomenon in the present state of Philippine internal affairs, lessens the credibility, undermines the integrity and questions the competence of the present national leadership. Thus it is that all its possibly good intentions and pursuant agenda are much undermined if not in effect cancelled by its perceived and felt duplicity in the application of justice, in the observance of the “Matuid na Daan.”
When water is a little dirty, it is not clean and wherefore dirty as such. So too, when there is duplicity, there can be no integrity. In the last analysis, someone who is but a little deceitful, can be anything but upright.
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