Hiding Behind the Law

December 4, 2007

The recent brouhaha about the latest escapade of Senator Trillanes is causing several violent reactions from people. Much has been said about the illegal arrests of media people covering the event and the arrest of priests some of whom are Bishop Libayen and the activist priest, Father Robert Reyes. 

Without going into whether the rebels were right in upholding their convictions, here is my take on the arrests.

Media people say they should not have been arrested because they were just doing their job. That they were not doing a crime. The same goes for the priests. They claim that they were merely there by chance and that they were in no way involved with the rebellion. Well fat chance for them. Supporting the rebels in any way, whether in the capacity of an active participant or not, makes one criminally liable. 

Art. 135 of the Revised Penal Code says:  Any person who promotes, maintains or heads a rebellion or insurrection shall suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua.

Any person merely participating or executing the commands of others in a rebellion or insurrection shall suffer the penalty of reclusion temporal.

Any person who leads or in any manner directs or commands others to undertake a coup d’etat shall suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua.

Any person in the government service who participates, or executes directions or commands of others in undertaking a coup d’etat shall suffer the penalty of reclusion temporal in its maximum period.

Any person not in the government service who participates, or in any manner supports, finances, abets or aids in undertaking a coup d’etat shall suffer the penalty of prision mayor in its maximum period.

When the rebellion, insurrection, or coup d’etat shall be under the command of unknown leaders, any person who in fact directed the others, spoke for them, signed receipts and other documents issued in their name, as performed similar acts, on behalf of the rebels shall be deemed a leader of such rebellion, insurrection, or coup d’etat.

So why should now the priests be exempt from criminal prosecution, if it can be proved that they did in fact give aid to the  rebels? Isn’t the law applicable to all? By being priests, are they now immune from prosecution? I think not.

The situation would have been different if the rebellion succeeded. If it had, they would have been hailed as heroes, for having the guts to stand up to what they saw as immoral and unconscionable. But it did not. So they must stand by the consequences of their actions. And that makes all the difference in the world.

 

 

 

My Italian Secret

December 3, 2007

From time to time, I get an intense craving for pasta. A really good, filling, steaming plate of pasta. And the problem is, there's no good pasta here except for Jolibee spaghetti or Greenwich pasta. Which is like eating cardboard. And my pasta cooking skills sucks big time. So my bright hope in the horizon is when I go to Manila. No visit in Manila is complete without one meal in a  pasta place. And my absolute, hands-down favorite is a little known pasta place, Napoli's at Commonwealth Ave, near Fairview Hospital. The place serves great meals, from salad to sausages and pizza. But the absolute best for me is the pasta. This is what I had the last time I went there

 

Unfortunately, I only remembered to take pictures halfway thru the meal. And the spaghetti al pesto was gone. But take my word for it, it was darn good and plenty of it too. a serving will fill two hungry people. Better luck next time.