Other legal remedies

I have nothing against freedom of expression. However, it seems that some Filipinos nowadays are becoming “more reactive” instead of taking concrete steps to invoke and utilize proper remedies that all of us are entitled to under the law.

Indeed, the reduction of the Commission on Human Rights’ (CHR) budget to an outrageously small amount of P1,000 deserves scorn and contempt because such could be a red flag of capricious and arbitrary governance. Drug-related killings imputed to the members of the Philippine National Police is likewise disdainful for the nature of such acts — regardless of the personality or stature of their perpetrator — are in itself unlawful, shocking, and vicious.

Nonetheless, are our solutions limited to posting critical reactions on social media and staging street rallies and demonstrations? It could be unknown to the uninformed many, but we have a handful of viable options through which our right to petition for the redress of wrongs and grievances may be exercised.

Let us not forget that aside from the CHR (which is unduly considered as the agency of “last resort” by most), we have the courts of law and equity that are endowed with both the power and duty to protect the rights of the oppressed and redress any such wrong committed in violation thereof. Also, we have our state prosecutors whose mandate is to pursue the prosecution of any activity carried out against the law and social order. Noteworthy as well is the fact that we have the Supreme Court, the highest court of the land, in order to make sure that our Constitution — the fountain of all our indelible and exercisable rights — is always upheld.

Our blessing of democracy does not merely empower us to react and declare our grievances against the whole world. It’s something that endows us the right to act collectively as a compelling force and members of the body politic, being the source and repository of sovereignty from which all governmental powers emanate from.

Should we limit ourselves to just becoming “keyboard warriors” and street protesters? Should we not put our governmental system into locomotion and exhaust all our other lawful remedies?

ZENAIDA KORITANA, [email protected]