I saw the news about the judge who refused to preside over the murder trial of the perpetrators and participants in the Maguindanao Massacre of 57 people. He said it plainly that he was fearful for his safety and that of his family. It was sickening.
Actions like the judge's do nothing except embolden those who commit murderous atrocities. In this country, the ones who preside over the scale of justice are not only blind, they also cower in fear behind their respectable-looking robes.
Justice here seems to be present and available only up to a certain point, beyond which it simply vanishes. Our judges seem to relish only the sensational, show business-like cases which have the potential of elevating a judge's stature to that of a moral liberator, a freedom fighter, or a champion of the masses.
The Maguindanao Massacre, however, has clipped Justice's steadfastness. It has made a judge step out from the limelight and into the crippling shadows of fear. This crime is as of yet unparalleled in our history, its perpetrators defy logic and categorization. They show no mercy, and respect no one or nothing, except perhaps their insatiable lust for blood and power. This case and its perpetrators are indeed formidable, but the judge is on the side of justice and righteousness, two of the few remaining good things in this country drained of virtue and hope. If these be gone, what is left to look forward to or hope for?
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