Grave abuse of discretion

This victory is a moral one, a stand against the grave abuse of those in power, far more than it is about the P60-billion transfer of PhilHealth funds to the Bureau of the Treasury.

- IRIS GONZALES

For that alone, it is very much a welcome decision by our Supreme Court.

Let's face it: much of the ills of our society stem from the absolute misuse of power by those who run our government - from barangay officials to lawmakers to the president of the republic. They treat taxpayers' money as their own and wield their offices as if they were mafia bosses.

Time and again, they have had no qualms using their positions for their own vested interests, or to make their jobs easier and faster because they weren't competent enough to do it the right way.

We saw this in the P60-billion transfer. We are in this mess because leaders have repeatedly overstepped their bounds, bent the rules and, in many cases, looted state coffers under the guise of "efficiency," "reform" or "budget flexibility."

And as we've seen in this floodgate that unraveled so grotesquely, grave abuse is not an abstract legal concept - it has real consequences, and it is we, Filipinos, who are paying the price for the misconduct of the powerful.

The result is not just eroded trust in government but weakened institutions, and a helpless citizenry.

This is why the Supreme Court's recent unanimous decision is a rare, forceful reminder that constitutional boundaries still exist and that not even the most powerful officials can redraw them at will.

The Court was categorical: