‘Dum spiro spero’
Our President is very keen to eliminate illegal drugs in our country. A lot of families, individuals and most especially citizens’ lives have been destroyed because of the use of illegal drugs. The users, instead of working for the economy, instead of providing sustenance to their families, choose to steal, choose to be involved in trafficking others, in order to satisfy their excessive longing for drugs. These substances are said to comfort those who use them, but in reality they are a vehicle of escape from the problems that the users are facing. These substances provide an illusion of a state better than the reality they refuse to confront.
In order to stop the trade in illegal drugs, in order to stop the lives of citizens from being destroyed by these substances, our President declared war against the people who push them and use them. Our President has a vision to raise Filipinos from poverty, which the majority of us grapple with today. In order for us to be divorced from poverty, law and order should first be established. And when law and order are established, one of the expected results is that investors from other countries will come to the Philippines bearing in mind that the crime rate here is low, which will be good for business. For our President, law and order should be the first thing to be imposed. Nevertheless, it should be noted that although it is important for law and order to be enforced and respected, it is also imperative that due process be not only emphasized but also practiced.
Our country is experiencing a rash of killings that are related to illegal drugs. The number of the killings has been rising since before our new President even took his oath of office. The print and broadcast media will tell us and show us grotesque images of persons who were shot dead by the police. In defense, the police will say that the dead were drug pushers who refused to surrender. The police should realize that the people they killed were yet suspected criminals. There is even recent news that the police killed a drug suspect together with his brother, who had nothing to do with drugs.
Everyone should be given a fair trial, as our Constitution dictates. More than ever, it should be emphasized that a suspect is innocent until proven guilty.
William Blackstone, an English jurist in the 18th century, influenced our modern penal system. To paraphrase what he said, “I will rather free 10 criminals than imprison an innocent man.” During Blackstone’s time, people were sentenced to death without proper trial. They were sent to the gallows or burned at the stake. But when morality and reason gave birth to humanism, these practices were stopped.
Indeed, what if the one who was killed was only accused of the crime? What if the accusation was wrong and made merely for political retribution? What if the accused committed the crime because of poverty? Can those who killed those accused persons bring them back to life?
The answer for the last question is an absolute “No!” When Blackstone said he would rather free 10 criminals than imprison an innocent man, he was convinced that no amount of apology would bring back the luster of life to the innocent man who was imprisoned because of unjustified speculation. Imprisoning, punishing or murdering an individual without proving the crime of which he or she is accused will in no way create a just society. The act of killing an accused drug pusher is in no way justifiable. Due process is an imperative to be emphasized.
Every person has the right to a fair trial. An individual may be suspected of committing a crime, but it does not necessarily follow that he or she is guilty of it. A man who is accused of illegality should prove himself if he pleads not guilty to committing the crime. And the punishment should always be justifiable.
Good jurisprudence is a manifestation of a just society.
Whenever we use our reason to support our actions, the essence of our actions is directed toward a moral goal. Morality can never be and should never be divorced from our actions. It is morality that makes us human. Whenever we see a corpse lying on the street, it is inevitable for us to show shock. It is the very impulse of being troubled by the scene of violence that makes us think of human morality.
Those who execute or are planning to execute people should think twice before dispatching those who are suspected of pushing or using illegal drugs. Behind the ones who use illegal means is a human being. Humanness, which is shared by everyone, should be the basis of deliberation for the measure against him or her.
When an individual has committed a crime that jeopardizes the society at large, he or she is sure to be punished. The punishment should not result in death; rather, the person should be imprisoned, and not deprived of life. Imprisonment should be geared toward reformation; to imprison a man is to reform him, so that when he has fully served his sentence, he can be reconciled with the society. If the man has served his sentence and given the chance to go back to the society, it is ideal for him to help build it and live as an upright citizen. If he is deprived of life, he cannot do anything anymore.
There is a Latin saying, “Dum spiro spero,” which means “While I breathe, I hope.” This saying means that while an individual is alive, there is a chance of hope. The very idea of hope indicates the chance of an individual to change. When an individual wills to undergo a metanoia, a complete reversal from his old crooked ways, it is something to celebrate. Nevertheless, he can only change; he can only undergo this complete reversal from crooked to straight if he still breathes and hopes.
Raphael Descartes M. Roldan, 20, is studying philosophy at the Divine Word Mission Seminary.
