DFA officials in billion-peso plunder raps

LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “… pray continually...” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, the Holy Bible).

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DFA OFFICIALS IN MULTI-BILLION PESO PLUNDER RAPS: I am in a quandary right now, unable to decide firmly. Should I accept a request to become the legal counsel of a group of officials and employees of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) who would like to become state witnesses against their fellow officials and other top officers whom they are accusing of having plundered billions of DFA funds over the last five years?

Or, should I refuse to become the group’s request for me to be their lawyer, since some of the top DFA officials they have already sued for plunder before the Office of the Ombudsman were former schoolmates of mine at the UP College of Law in Diliman, Quezon City?

So, which comes first to a private law practitioner like me: continue helping, pro bono, those who appear to have genuine and valid grievances against officials of government who have earlier taken an oath to defend and uphold the Constitution and the laws of the land, or give priority to human relationships established during my younger days? I know the answer is obvious, but I hope our readers here can give their insights.

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CASE ON GRACE POE’S CITIZENSHIP CAN BE FILED NOW: In response to our last column about a test case being filed against Sen. Grace Poe right now to determine whether she is a natural born Filipino and can, therefore, be elected as senator of the country, some individuals sent me messages saying they could agree to become petitioners against the senator in this test case.

My point is, we do not have to wait for Grace to decide, and file first her certificate of candidacy to run for president or vice president in the 2016 elections before a case can already be filed against her.

Since a basic qualification of her being senator is the one that should be put in issue in this test case right now, there is already an actual controversy within the contemplation of the law that would allow the filing of that test case and the litigation thereof either before the Commission on Elections or before the regular courts. So, should we file or not?

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PRAYER IS THE ANSWER TO EVERY PROBLEM IN LIFE: Here is a reminder: “Prayer is the answer to every problem in life. It puts us in tune with Divine Wisdom, which knows how to adjust everything perfectly. So often, we do not pray in certain situations because from our standpoint, the outlook is hopeless. BUT NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD.

“Nothing is so entangled it cannot be remedied. No human relationship is too strained to bring about reconciliation and understanding. No habit so deep-rooted that it cannot be overcome. No one is so weak that he cannot be strong. No one is so ill that he cannot be healed. No mind is so dull that it cannot be made brilliant.

“Whatever we need if trust God, He will supply it. If anything is causing worry and anxiety, let us stop rehearsing the difficulty and TRUST God for love, healing and power.”

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PLEASE LISTEN: “Ang Tanging Daan” (The Sole Way), a Bible study and prayer session on radio, airs Mondays to Fridays, 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., at DWAD 1098 kHz on the AM band. For replays, go to www.facebook.com/angtangingdaan or www.facebook.com/ANDKNK and scroll for “Ang Tanging Daan” broadcasts. Phone: 0922 833 43 96, 0918 574 0193, 0917 984 24 68. Email: batasmauricio@yahoo.com.

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