“That government should be of laws rather of men…”

August 2003 Editorial of The General-The LOMs Official Publication. The editorial touches on the oakwood seiged by the Magdalo Soldiers on July 2003.

Time and again, we have seen Philippines, our beloved country and the only truly democratic state in Asia wracked by coups and destabilization efforts led by influential people of our society, and the military. This phenomenon seems to indicate that our political system is indeed so weak and flawed that the messianic leaders of these efforts have reasons to believe that any attempt to grab power pays or is worth the risk. That may be so since no coup plotter or “destabilizer” has been significantly punished for his so called “crime against the state”.

Granting that the sentiments of these coup plotters are true, there is no enough reason for any well-meaning and responsible Filipino to jeopardize our country’s ailing economy just for this “noble” pursuit of purging our government of corrupt and inept officials, or booting out the “illegal president” from Malacañang.

What makes the latest military caper very depressing is that it was led(or were they led?), by the young officers of our Armed Forces. These gun-toting people seem to believe that any change in the system would require the use of force, understandably so since they are graduates of a military academy. However, they should have borne in mind that their primary duty as soldiers of the republic is to defend the state, uphold the law and protect the duly constituted authority. Their “armed demonstration” in Oakwood Hotel is a wayward interpretation of this vow, to say the least. In fact, it is a complete departure to the principle of civilian supremacy over the military. We must put a stop to this military adventurism and deal all these misguided military elements, idealistic they may be, with appropriate education at democracy and appreciation of the rule of law.

Let justice be done though heavens may fall.