The rule of law

The rule of law should be the foundation of our liberties and social order.

- MARICHU A. VILLANUEVA

The rule of law means that the law is above everyone and it applies to everyone. Whether you are the president of the country or the street-sweeper who just wears the president's shirt—ruler or ruled, no one is above the law and no one is exempted from the law. All government officials in the Philippines pledge first and foremost to uphold the Constitution, affirming that the rule of law is superior to their offices and provides the basis of their mandate.

But we know only too well that the rule of law is weak or even nonexistent in this country. Sadly, it is mere rhetoric, not reality. More often than not, it is only good for sound bytes.

When top officers of the Philippine National Police (PNP) run their organization like an organized crime gang or as the henchmen of the President, their commander-in-chief, how can there be rule of law?

When you've got legislators and judges who act as proxies for the administration, there is no rule of law. When journalists, activists and ordinary people disappear and are tortured and killed without getting justice, there is no rule of law. When government officials and law enforcement officers continue to enjoy impunity for their actions, there is no rule of law.

Large-scale extrajudicial violence as a crime solution marked the six years of Rodrigo Duterte's tenure as president of the Philippines while he was in office at Malacañang Palace.