The power of 300,000

Fiat justitia, ruat caelum. Let justice be done, though the heavens fall.

This Latin phrase is often used by judges and lawyers in their discussions to put forward the belief that rulings of the court must be followed, regardless of how difficult they are or what the consequences will be.

But for 300,000 residents caught up in the ongoing turf war between the cities of Makati and Taguig, the consequences of the Supreme Court’s April 2023 decision will be especially difficult to bear.

“Though the heavens fall” is a noble concept in the realm of ideas, but it feels very different on the ground for a Makati resident who—long accustomed to the most generous benefits, welfare, and social support system bestowed by any local government unit in the country—will be now thrust into the uncertain future of suddenly coming under the rule of a rival entity.

The fate of residents affected by this land row is not unlike those of people caught up in a war between two neighboring states. Being closely identified with one warring party definitely brings on fear of retribution from the other side that has suddenly found itself controlling the disputed territory.

For people residing in these 10 former Makati City barangays that are now part of Taguig City by the high tribunal’s order, the fear is genuine that they will experience some form of diminution of benefits or, at worse, discrimination from their new victorious administrators for their loyalty to the vanquished.

It is incumbent upon the leadership of Taguig City to take control of these disputed areas in an empathetic and understanding manner for the worries of the people caught up in this tug-of-war are real and legitimate. The ham-fisted approach of deploying police personnel and sending volunteers to the public schools in the affected areas may do more harm than good and may serve only to heighten the anxiety of the residents.

Meanwhile, it is incumbent upon the leadership of Makati City to use whatever remaining leverage it has over the situation to fight for a status quo of benefits that these residents have long enjoyed from the city government. As the head of the city, it is incumbent upon Makati Mayor Abby Binay to exhaust all available legal means to protect the interests of these affected citizens, and ensure as much as she can that they are, as much as possible, insulated from this upheaval.

The political fortunes of the Binay family will survive this blow to their prized city, while the Cayetano family will, for the foreseeable future, continue to reap the rewards of their stewardship of Taguig. Both camps must rise above their immediate insular concerns to ensure the well-being of residents in the disputed areas who, though not displaced physically, will certainly be feeling displaced sociopolitically in the aftermath of a 30-year legal battle.

Yes, let justice be done, though the heavens fall.

But justice can be administered in a compassionate manner to minimize the adverse impact on the affected residents. They are not spoils of war but 300,000 men, women, children, and elderly facing the anxiety of an uncertain future.

Most importantly, however, the citizens affected by this conflict must remember that the power to protect their future is, and has always been, in their hands. The truth is that it is not their political leaders, whether the Binays or Cayetanos, who have power over them. It is the other way around, thanks to the power of the ballot.

In the rough and tumble world of politics, whatever the Taguig leadership promises to the Makati leadership to ensure the welfare of the 10 barangays may be subject to changes later. But these barangays’ 300,000 residents have the power to protect their social, political, and economic futures by making themselves a potent power bloc in Taguig as they have been for decades in Makati. If they speak as one, act as one, and vote as one, they have little to fear. In fact, it is they who will be feared.

Taguig’s current mayor, Lani Cayetano, won the last elections with 272,876 votes, so an aggrupation of 300,000 residents can certainly do more than protect their own barangays’ interests—they can change the political fate of the entire city.

The leaders of Taguig must keep this in mind when administering this new area that has now been given over to their control by the Supreme Court. Take good care of these people, or these people will “take care of you”—specifically your political futures through the ballot box—in a not-so-nice way.