The Rule of Law

 

By Francis Jeus Ibañez 

The rule of law must be both respected and feared, for only through its uncompromising authority can justice prevail and truth emerge with clarity. Those who seek to tamper with its sanctity must reckon with inevitable accountability, as the time approaches when the Supreme Court—our ultimate arbiter—must act to restrain, if not eliminate, those who manipulate the legal order.

Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc explains: "In the Upanishads, it is stated that the law is the king of kings, which means that it is higher than the king. The concept of the rule of law means that "no one is above the law" or that "all are equal before the law". This was clearly stated in the Magna Carta, written in the 12th century. In fact, the concept, which is the spirit behind every constitutional democracy, is a reaction to the divine rights theory. 

The rule of law hence defines the essence of a democratic government. Maboloc adds that for Plato, if the law is the master of the state, then people can expect "the blessings that the gods can shower on the people." Indeed, Maboloc, citing Cicero, "we serve the law in order to be free". Otherwise, we will be at the mercy of powerful men, who only serve their own interests and arrogate before others notwithstanding their sheer ignorance. 

Maboloc writes, "the rule of law, in this way, is a principle meant to protect the rights of men and women from the whims of those who abuse their position." In this sense, "the law is not just a tool, but is preeminent." To respect the decision of the Supreme Court as the final arbiter when it comes to the interpretation of the law, I must agree, "is one of the safeguards of a duly constituted democratic government."

- Francis Jeus Ibañez is a senior faculty at the Bohol Island State University. He teaches ethics, logic, and deconstruction. He holds a master's degree in Philosophy under the tutelage of the great Eddie Babor. He is writing his dissertation on Paul Ricoeur at the University of San Carlos.