| 22 February 2010
I have recently come across a fellow Filipino who thinks that the jury system is a good idea but will not commit himself to it just yet. Of course, I accept his reservations whatever they are.
He then said that our country has so many problems and corruption is, of course, one of them but he is not convinced talking about the bad things plaguing our country is the right approach. In other words, he says, we have to be positive. I agree; we have to be positive. However, how does one say the issue of corruption in our country in a positive way? Corruption in the Philippines is real. Should we then deny reality, just so we could say we are positive thinkers?
Another Filipino argues that we should not attack the corrupt politicians because they are the geese that lay the golden eggs. This same thinking has led us to the problem we are in. For years, we have turned a blind eye towards the ill-doings of our leaders because once in a while they have done something good for us. We easily forgive and forget. We do not take our leaders to account. Who fed the goose that laid the golden eggs though? Were they not the Filipinos, with their sweat and tears? We are not beholden to them. They are beholden to us, the Filipino People. These days, the OFWs are the geese that lay the golden eggs. We are the NEW HEROES AND SHOULD BE PROUD ABOUT IT.
Anyway, the first one said that he learned from his Food and Hygiene Course that to eradicate rat infestation, they should be starved of food and eliminate all sources of food. He did not admit though that our politicians are like rats but the analogy is good. Isn’t it?
This being the case, how then can the Filipinos starve corrupt leaders and politicians from ill-gotten wealth?
This is where the Jury System steps in. With a jury system, any concerned citizen or a group of concerned citizens like NGOs can sue a corrupt leader. If there are grounds for a criminal case, then a grand jury will bring the case to court. A jury of twelve or less will then decide whether the leader was guilty or not. Of course, a jury system is not as simple as it sounds. But once it is incorporated in our judicial laws, our leaders will know that they will be accountable to the people. They will think twice before they succumb to the lure of gold. Corruption, if not eliminated, will be minimized.
Comments
Greetings...
You should appreciate that when people talk and make some comments/opinions,that means that they are listening...but does not necessarily agrees.We disagree to agree.Every suggestions and opinions counts to make a proper law.
Not that we take a blind eye to corruption issues on-going , but for reasons that we as filipinos do not have to spread our dirty linens in public to achieve any organisational goal like yours.
Corruption is within us ,but it does not have to be boldly presented at all times during your presentation.You need politicians to make Jury system into a law.Make peace not war.
Many ways to make your presentation postive , if really you want to.
Right or wrong opinions is best stated
and as a speaker you must be a good listener.
Nothing personal
Regards to all members....
I do not just appreciate your comment; I am very honoured by it. The fact that I wrote about it means that I listened and realised the issues you raised were important, pertinent and must be shared with others so that we could have an intelligent discussion about our country’s problems.
From your comment, you did not express approval or disapproval of a jury system for our country. Your disagreement lies on the strategy or technique of raising the problem that has been plaguing our country _ CORRUPTION. Firstly, you don’t want me, as the presenter, to present it boldly and repeatedly. Secondly, you do not want me to wash our dirty linen in public. Lastly, you said that we “need politicians to make a Jury system into a law” and to make peace not war.
What our political leaders have done is the “plunder” of our country’s wealth. I’m sure “corruption” is a more positive term unless you can think of better one. I would appreciate a suggestion.
In public speaking, one needs to be dynamic, bold and forceful in actions and in words to keep the listeners’ attention and interest. Moreover, in my over 20 years of teaching, I have learned that repeating the topic over and over again helps the students remember and understand. These are the reasons I do what I do. And, I am thriving even now as a teacher in England.
Regarding washing dirty linen in public, I am not the only one doing it. It is being done by celebrated columnists of the Economist, the Philippine Star, and the Enquirer and of other international papers. Even Britain’s Ambassador to the Philippines commented recently, that whoever wins the next election in the Philippines must tackle the issue of corruption.
My public is small compared to the readership of even just one of these papers. I did not invent that the Philippines is the second most corrupt country in Asia! The Filipinos learned that from newspapers and surveys published in our country.
About _ making peace, not war, our organisation and any other organisation with the same cause as ours will surely make enemies but conversely, we will surely make millions of Filipino friends by suggesting a solution to our age-old problem.
Yes, we need politicians to incorporate a jury system in our judicial laws. However, it is the Filipino people, when they have been awakened about their rights and duties as citizens, who will force the politicians to enforce their will.
The Jury System is not a perfect system; but any system that allows ordinary people to participate in the administration of justice and be involved in its government is much better than what we have now.
I invite our readers to comment and make their opinion/s be known. You cannot be a bystander all the time. Sooner or later you will need to get involved.
Mabuhay and God Bless.
Just a piece of my mind,bystander or not all filipinos are as important as the others.Being a member of your organisation or not does not make any Filipino much better than the other who are all fighting for the same change.
I asked people to be involve but most of them including myself are in agreement that we do not have to be a member of any Filipino Jury Organisation for that matter to raise awareness.We are also in agreement that we raise awareness through public debate here in U.K.
Good luck in your endeavour .
Regards
Marie
PS. I do not need any reply to this message
Thank you for your contribution to the discussion. I hope the others will be as bold as you are in making known their feelings about Jury System for our country.
Being a member of Philippine Jury International or any other jury organisations here in the UK or elsewhere in the world does not make them superior or more important than the others. The point I and like-minded Filipinos are driving at is that we, as a group, will be stronger and more effective if we work together. A good analogy is a single bamboo pole; on its own, will break easily when lifting a very heavy load. But if two, three or more are tied together, they could lift more load and even last longer.
It is an excellent idea that you, together with other people, are in agreement to raise awareness about the jury system through public debate in the UK. If organised well, you will be able to reach hundreds of Filipinos in one single event! Our website has only reached around 2,000 readers since its inception, eight months ago.
I would love to join this debate and speak in support of a Jury System. Just name the date.
I will pray for your success.
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