Awed

History was made yesterday with the setting of the higher standard of honesty for all Filipinos applied to the Chief Justice of the Republic.  In the words of the Senate Minority Leader the verdict of the impeachment trial set a “new paradigm” in transparency and good governance.  Indeed our efforts to improve accountability in public office have become stronger and more determined.

We all do take time to pause and wish the former Chief Justice and his family all the best as they enter a very difficult period in their lives.  We can be sure that the affected family wishes that all these related difficulties would just end. However, we know that with the public admission of having so much cash deposited in the banks not reported as required, the procedure of extracting oneself from the controversy has just begun.  Yet as the Senate President shared his experience that time heals wounds as we submit ourselves to Divine Providence.

The historic event also revealed the statesmanship of the Senate President together with those who are learning to become one.  On a personal note, I found the Lord’s deep humor in teaching the lesson of humility with a Senator-judge, who is a high school graduate, passing judgment on the accused with much academic credentials.  During an interview of the Senate President,  my attention was caught when the interviewee revealed that the testimony of the Ombudsman could not have possibly been concocted or created by a human mind as the intricacies and figures reported  impossible to create within a specified time frame. This revelation encourages us to go deeper and try to see the bigger picture.

One will surely be amazed to try to comprehend the event as created by man.  Who would think that when the Chief Justice started doing business in foreign currency that this year his profitable business would bring him down from the lofty pedestal of power? Who could create such a legal performance that some smilingly say, “despite the prosecution, a conviction was delivered”.  Who could have created the continuing story of the impeached Chief Justice intertwined with the story of a corporation? So forth and so on.  We can be sure that no human mind could have made such story which brings us to look up and acknowledge the sovereignty of our Father.  He is truly amazing and we are awed by Him.

Let us end with an anecdote entitled “self-knowledge” and be encourages to continue to teach when the opportunity comes and at the same time learn. A college is recruiting new students.  The teacher asks an applicant in the interview: “Why do you want to be teacher?” The applicant answers:  “When I was small I was determined to become a great person when I grew up.  But when I was in high school I felt that it is too hard to become a great person. So I changed my dream to becoming the wife of a great man.  But now I understand that I have very little chances of becoming the wife of a great man.  So I changed my mind again and determined to become the teacher of a great person.”  The applicant was accepted.*