The Abusive Barangay Captains

Hole of Justice

By Peter G. Jimenea
 
The Abusive Barangay Captains
 
I noticed that the Medical Mission of the opposition is often held at the Church premises rather than in Barangay Gym. I learned later that they are prohibited by barangay captains of the place from using the gym for this purpose.

These very obedient and domesticated barangay leaders of the administration should know that a gym was established for public use and for the benefit of the poor residents of the area. Same is true for taxpayers who funded these gyms.

True, a barangay chairman is a little president. He personifies the law that holds the community together, either bearable or miserable. But the latter seems to have overruled the other due to the upcoming May 13 election.

I scorched the Constitution on all sides to find justification for this prohibition in the use of the gym for the beneficial-end to the poor but found none. In fact, no administration before suggested to do this kind of deprivation to the needy!

The power of a barangay captain is not a right engraved in stone by fiery fingers of city officials but a mere privilege entrusted to him by constituents to lead in accordance with the rule of law. But they abused the privilege given to them.

At any rate, God is good. They failed to expand this privilege of jurisdictional and prosecutorial powers from their backyards and beyond – to the Church they cannot command. It is written; “He who abused when drunk shall be punished when sober.”

This deliberate oppression of leaders to the Constitutional rights of the honest taxpayers, can give them the taste of what it takes if the push comes to shove. A medical mission for the poor held at Church premises deserves a blessing from God and you know what that means!

The Bill of Rights is the bedrock of the Constitutional government. If people are stripped naked of their rights as human beings, democracy cannot survive and the government becomes meaningless. But mind you, this is happening now!

The oppressive barangay leaders should know that the Bill of Rights contained as it is in ART. III of the Constitution occupies a position of primacy to the fundamental law way above the articles on government powers.

One reminder, the Court values liberty and will always insist on the observance of basic Constitutional rights as a condition sine qua non against the awesome oppressive and prosecutory powers of people in the administration.

With the exception of the good barangay executives, the prohibition to use the barangay gyms is a stepped-over-the-line of pardonable behavior. Why deprive your constituents the beneficial medical and other basic services for free? Evil, it can only be!

I see no other reason for this abusive conduct to prohibit the oppositions from using the gym except, political jealousy. But God said; “The good things you are doing to your neighbors, you do that for me.” This message has unpredictable events that only God knows!

The well-educated barangay-captains may have already in mind to be better missed than damned. Those with unpardonable behavior should know that injuria non praesumitur – the wrong is not presumed and the tragedy is not to go but having no one to remember you!