Righteousness of God

(Sermon delivered by Aniceto B. Fontanilla on Reformation Sunday at UCCP-Ellinwood Malate Church, October 31, 2004.)
by Nick B. Fontanilla, Ph.D.

The Mayonnaise Jar and the Wine

A professor in his philosophy class picked up a very large and empty jar and filled it with golf balls. He asked the students if the jar was full. The students agreed that it was.

The professor picked up a box of pebbles and poured the pebbles into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced a glass of wine and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - God, Church, family, your children, your health, your friends, and your other important things -- that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else - the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he said, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important.

What this story tells us is that we should pay attention to the things that are critical to our life and that we should set our priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a glass of wine with a friend."



Symbols of Protestant Reformation

In a way, this story captures what reformation of the 16th century has done to Christianity. Reformation opened our eyes so we can recognize what is big stuff and what is small stuff. It rejected rituals, practices, symbols, corruption, doctrines and all those things that represent the small stuff such as the elaborate altar that was common in the old church.

In place, it reformed the church so that Christians are able to focus on things that represent the big stuff. Thus, we see the sanctuary of the reformed church as a picture of simplicity with the Bible at the center, symbolizing the Christ-centeredness of the reformed faith.

Other reforms include Christian principles and doctrines, some of which are shown below:

A Catholic scholar priest acknowledged the importance of the reformation in his book A Biblical Defense of Catholicism that was written in 1991. In this book, he quoted Karl Adam who lamented the loss of Luther whom Adam described to have marvelous gifts of mind and heart, warm penetration of the essence of Christianity, passionate defiance of all unholiness and ungodliness, and the elemental fury of his religious experience.

He says, “Had Martin Luther brought all these magnificent qualities to the removal of the abuses of the time . . . had he remained a faithful member of his Church, humble and simple, sincere and pure, then indeed we should today be his grateful debtors. He would be forever our great Reformer . . . comparable to Thomas Aquinas and Francis of Assisi. He would have been the greatest saint of the German people.

It was, however, not meant to be. The Catholic hierarchy never gave Martin Luther the chance to reform the church. Instead, it pushed him out of the church and gave him the mandate to reform the church outside of the hierarchy.

The Protestant Reformation

The Reformation of the Roman Catholic Church was a major 16th-century religious revolution that ended the ecclesiastical supremacy of the pope and resulted in the establishment of the Protestant churches. The map below shows how the reformation spread from Germany to various parts of Europe:

With the Renaissance and the French Revolution that followed, the Reformation completely altered the medieval way of life in Western Europe and initiated the era of modern history. The UCCP-EMC traces its roots from this reformation, as shown in the history chart below:

Reformation Sunday

Today is Reformation Sunday. It is on this occasion when we recognize the faith, courage, and perseverance of those who risked and lost their lives in their effort to reform the faith and life of the church.

There have been many great Reformers in the history of the church:

1 John Wycliffe and John Huss who initiated reforms even before Martin Luther;

2 Ulrich Zwingli who began the Swiss Reformation;

3 John Calvin, who reformed the church in Geneva and had a profound impact on what we believe as Presbyterians; and

4 John Knox who reformed the church in Scotland and is considered the father of Presbyterianism.

But if was Martin Luther who ignited the Reformation of the church. Martin Luther was an Augustinian monk serving at the University of Wittenberg. Through the years, he became miserable because of what he had been taught to believe.

One night, he reflected on Paul’s letter to the Romans, the very same words we read as our scripture reading. Verse 17 says: For the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, the one who is righteous will live by faith.

When Luther reflected on Paul’s words that the righteousness of God is revealed through faith and that the righteous live by faith, he realized the omissions of the church. For Luther, this was a life changing revelation, a spiritual rebirth.

He learned that God’s righteousness is the means by which God judges sinners. In his reflection, Luther discovered that God’s righteousness was more than just an attribute of God; it was a quality of God, a grace of God that is given to sinners that makes sinners acceptable before God.

It was this radical new perspective that changed everything for Martin Luther. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and the words written by Paul, he had been set free.

With this new understanding of God’s righteousness and a hope of salvation, Martin Luther composed his 95 Thesis against the practices and beliefs of the Catholic Church. And on the night of Halloween, the eve of All Saint’s Day, October 31, 1517, exactly 487 years ago, Martin Luther walked out of the front doors of the University of Wittenberg, to the front door of the Catholic Church, and there he nailed to the door his 95 Thesis. With that move, the history of the church changed forever.

For Luther, The one who makes us right before God is not ourselves; it is God, the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ. That understanding remains central to our faith and should be one of the big stuffs that should fill up our lives.

The reformation started a new culture, a new form of humanity. It touched every aspect of life: work, economics, art, literature, music, science, etc. The doctrine of justification by grace alone, through faith alone based on scripture alone released energy into a society that had previously been preoccupied with an 'other-world' piety.[2]

Reformation was so pervasive that some historians have blamed the Reformation for the rise of capitalism. The 'Weber' thesis equated Protestantism with material success. Weber claimed that Calvinism so stressed predestination that anxious believers began to seek signs of God's election in earthy prosperity, which is not true because Both Luther and Calvin attacked capitalism as unrestrained greed and called for government control of capitalism. Moreover, Zwingli and Calvin contributed to the development of modern social welfare programs, urban renewal and urban and state welfare programs. They forced governments to accept responsibility for the prevention and alleviation of poverty.

The reformation enlightened our understanding of our mission to proclaim the word. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, tells us that we have been set apart for the gospel in this generation.

In Romans 1: 8-17, Paul summarizes the reasons why we have been set apart for the gospel in this generation, that is, we should live from faith to faith. This means that as God’s righteousness is revealed to us, we become his instruments to reveal God’s righteousness to others. Paul says that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who BELIEVES.

God’s righteousness is not revealed to us on the basis of our own merits. We discern that righteousness "from faith to faith." Faith is the beginning of our relationship with Christ. But it does not stop there. It goes from faith to faith. And throughout this whole cycle of faith, the righteousness of God is continually revealed – to believers and non-believers.

This is why Martin Luther wrote his famous statement Ecclesia semper reformanda, the Church is always to be reformed. Christianity always needs to be reshaped – that is to be cleansed and sharpened in terms of its theology, reformulated in terms of its culture and reorganised in terms of its practise, and to reveal God’s righteousness from faith to faith.

After all, the classic definition of theology is “faith seeking understanding. Understanding involves grasping clearly what our experience of God tells us about who God is and what God has done for us. It involves engaging in a quest to see our world in a special way from the perspective of God who has created that world and sustains it including all the stuff of theological reflection as we try to understand those experiences from God’s perspective as well as our own. Finally, it involves transformative action, calling us to be prophets proclaiming the gospel.”[3]

Radiant Faith

In our Old Testament text, Moses came down from Mount Sinai with a radiant face. Every time he came down from the mountain, his face was radiant. God’s righteousness was revealed to Moses which he discerned from faith to faith. Every time he came down, he experienced the transformative action of the righteousness of God. And every time, he shared God’s message to his people, proclaiming God’s word, and revealing God’s righteousness faith for faith. [4]

Like Luther, Moses’ encounter with God was a life changing revelation that was nothing short of a spiritual rebirth. Like Luther, he was set free.

Continuing Conversion

Today, on Reformation Sunday, let us reflect on Paul’s message to the Romans -- “For the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, ‘The one who is righteous will live by faith’” and Moses’ encounter with God that made his face so radiant.

As we do that, let us contemplate on what it is that we have to become as faithful followers of Christ and as a congregation to be faithful to the mission and purpose of Reformation.

Many theologians believe that the critical challenge facing the church today is not how to make Christianity credible to the modern world. Rather, the crucial challenge is ecclesiological: the creation of a new and more faithful church, the transformation of the church, not through accommodation, but through conversion.

The key challenge involves thinking through the question, What kind of community are we called to be in order to be faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ? and to be consistent with the purpose that the reformers fought for and died for, that is to proclaim the gospel.[5]

I would like to paraphrase the recommendations of Darell L. Guder of Princeton Theological Seminary. He says,

“The church can effectively carry out its missionary calling by building a new theology of evangelism that has its focus on the church itself.”[6]

Guder says that we must not succumb to gospel reductionism, and defines Gospel reductionism as an action that reduces the gospel in all its fullness and mission to a controllable, manageable, and comfortable level. He says: "We are constantly tempted to assert that our way of understanding the Christian faith is a final version of Christian truth."

Reductionism as he defines it severely restricts church involvement as it diminishes what for him is vital to become an "incarnational witness." Here he refers to God's grace reaching out in a Christian's call and vocation.

Many mainstream churches are guilty of gospel reductionism. Our local congregations, including the big churches in LCSMC, face this dilemma, one way or the other. Cosmopolitan Church, the bright star in the UCCP LCSMC, took all of 70 years before they embarked on a program called 7x7, meaning seven daughter churches in seven years.

In UCCP-EMC, we are proud of our mission work, having produced many daughter churches in 97 years. But this accomplishment pales in comparison with many young evangelical churches. We now have a mission center that is energized by the many volunteer workers. But it took all of 10 years before it became a reality. We struggled with the thought that it possibly could not be done.

Consistent with the message of the Reformation, Guder recommends continual conversion. By continual conversion, he refers to a rather liquid, dynamic movement in Christianity without boundaries, yet constantly refining what institution is already there.

When Christians become concerned about maintenance, he says, mission is lost. Continual conversion refers to this movement back to mission.

As Martin Luther wrote, Ecclesia semper reformanda -- the Church is always to be reformed. Christianity always needs to be reshaped – that is to be cleansed and sharpened in terms of its theology, reformulated in terms of its culture and reorganised in terms of its practise. That is one important message of reformation.


[1] Spiritual Rebirth (http://www.finleypres.org/worship/sermons/20021027.htm)

[2] Mr. Bill Meischke. Building an Economy of Care. WWW.

[3] Nancy Ammerman, et at. Studying Congregations: A New Handbook. Abingdon Press. Nashville. 1998.

[4] Barbara D. Fillette, North & Southampton Reformed Church, Date: 1/28/01, Title: "Living the Highs and Lows", Occasion: Transfiguration Sunday

[5] Raymond O. Bystrom. On the Church and Our Culture. WWW.

[6] Based on an essay regarding the book Continuing Conversion of the Church written by Professor Darrell L. Guder of the Princeton Theological Seminary.

My Perspective on Liberalism

By Manuel Rodriguez II

The liberal person is stereotype as a militant, not often esteemed and often misunderstood. In the present Filipino culture we have lost track between political liberalism and moral liberalism, to be “liberated” now is to be an immoral person.

As I see it, the term “liberalism” is almost certainly one of the most misapprehended words in the society of Juan dela Cruz.

Perhaps the supreme fallacy of the term is that one cannot be a liberal and a God believing individual at once.

As a Christian-liberal, let me state my political view and assertion on the subject matter. It is a delusion that only politicians should have a political view, every citizen must get involved in the affairs of his State.

My liberal perspective is probably a “hybrid” of my first being a believer and a practitioner of the Christian Faith and second as an advocate of democracy and liberalism as a political system. Back in senior college I was the Chairperson of the Students’ Democratic Party which is the first political party to be organized after the lifting of martial law and a promoter of liberalism and democracy in governance.

I do not expect all fellow liberals to agree on my perspective; many liberally-educated individuals and political scientists (and maybe the religious) may differ or oppose my personal view.

It’s OK, I have learned to accept the fact that it is uncommon to meet two liberals who would agree on a common definition of the term unless in all probability if they are a part of a same political party which has a liberal brand.

It is only normal that the liberals from different walks of life will argue among themselves regarding the definition of the term “liberal” and the principles and ideals that are anchored on it. As liberals tend to price their personal opinions, you should anticipate a flood of ideas, opinions, positions and even formulas in putting up the “ideal society.”

In my opinion, to be liberal does not mean to be a part of a political group. Liberalism is a belief. It is similar to Christianity, Islam, or any other religion however the focus in liberalism is not the belief in a supreme being but in the belief on the attainment of the ideal society.

As a philosophy, the focus of liberalism is on the freedom of the individual. Liberals believe that in order to attain the ideal society, the individuals must be free to do the things that they want as long as it does not affect the rights of other individuals. Liberals give higher importance to the lives of the individuals rather than the life of the State; they believe that the State must be the protector of the people and not its oppressor.

Unlike the traditionalists who stick to lenience and understanding, the liberal always demand change when change is being called for, they are open to new ideas and values. He always calls for genuine reforms, but is not easy to call for arms unlike the radicals and leftists. In fact, he shuns violence as a solution.

The liberal always respect the rule of law and works within the system and not against it. He boldly presents the cancers of the society, asks the hard queries, and offer solutions.

The liberalism political thought asserts that every individual is rational and is responsible and are at the best position to choose his or her interests. Liberals believe that to go after personal interests freely and rationally would lead to the finest of all social systems.

It is in contrast to the view of the fascists and the conservatives that individuals in the social order are linked collectively in an organic whole and affix on social order. Liberals also disagree with the socialist argument that individual interest should bow down to the interest of the society as a whole.

Liberals are firm to their ideal that no principle can ever authorize the restriction of freedom in the political and economic spheres. Liberals give emphasis to equal opportunities to all, they dream of a society where the hard-working and the talented are rewarded the amount of their work. They shun the idea of equality of ends wherein people will simply receive equal shares of the economic benefits.

In my opinion, it is not wrong for liberals to profess a faith and advocate to Christian values of humility, honesty, justice, love and prayerfulness. Religious freedom is one fruit of many libertarian efforts. Liberals believe that each man must be free on his worship to a supreme being, if he chooses to worship at all.

To end, let me state the six core liberal principles that I have learned being a seeker of political knowledge. These six principles sum up everything about liberalism. First is Individualism, or the belief that the individual is more important than the group or society where he/she belongs. Second is Rationalism or the belief that the world is rational and it can be disclosed in the eyes of the human person through the exercise of critical inquiry. Third is Freedom or the ability to act as one desire in agreement to self-determination. Fourth is Responsibility or being responsible for one’s social and economic circumstance. Fifth is Justice or the giving of every person what is due them. And the sixth is Tolerance or the willingness to accept the views or actions that one disagrees or of which one disapproves.

This is my perspective of the liberalism political credo. As I mentioned earlier I do not expect everyone to agree and that will be fine for I respect the differing views regarding the topic and I uphold the sixth core value abovementioned.

There are many professed supporters of liberalism are at times unconfident as to what precisely their political philosophy is all about. I genuinely hope that my perspective helped those people.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY.

Retreat and Surrender

By Manuel Rodriguez II

(Based on the sermon by Rev. Jeffrey Gatdula delivered on April 9, 2011 at Forest Life Resort, Silang Cavite on the occasion of the retreat for the young adults of UCCP-Cosmopolitan Church with the theme “I Retreat, I Surrender.”)

What is “retreat”? The dictionary gives us clear meanings of the term. The word retreat means –to move back or to withdraw. Another definition is to withdraw to a quiet or secluded place or to change one’s decision, plans or attitude.

What is “surrender”? We know that in this life “surrender” is something difficult to live at. It is defined as -- to cease resistance or to abandon oneself entirely to a powerful emotion or influence.

The word “surrender” traces its root from Anglo-Norman. It is a combination of two words namely “sur” and “render.”
“Sur” means superior or excellent, it is where we get the English term “super” which means the same thing. “Render” simply means to give. Ergo “sur-render” literally means super-giving or excellently submitting.

The question now is…are we really “super-giving” as far as the Lord is concerned?

The central to the word “surrender” is our “will.”

Our “will” is a deliberate or fixed desire or intention. It is fixed. It is etched in stone and indelibly written. By analogy in the legal parlance “the last will” of the deceased as a rule cannot be modified.

As we recall in the life of Jesus, he mentioned the phrase “thy Kingdom come, thy WILL be done…” Hence, we can conclude that the Kingdom is the “will” of the Father. Where the “will” of the Father is happening, the Kingdom is present thereat.

God wants us to live “His will” for us instead of “our will” for ourselves. God wants us to experience “His Kingdom.”
In John 18:36 Jesus mentioned that the Kingdom is not of this world. When “God’s will” come upon us…everything changes…even the fixed ones.

Because his Kingdom…A.K.A. “His will” is more supreme. There is always fear when we are not submitting to the will of the father.

Hebrews 9:16-17 says “in the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.”

The verse talks of “the last will.” Nowadays, we need not be legal experts to know that such document has no effect when the testator is still alive, thanks to telenovelas of primetime TV.

“The last will” is similar to the will of the Father; it cannot materialize unless we die.

What kind of death does it talk about? Definitely, not on its literal sense. In Galatians 2:20 the Apostle Paul said “I no longer live but Christ lives in me.” It means dying to self…and letting God take over.

“Surrender” means death. And I must admit that it is not easy. This is the struggle that we face every single day. But we Christians should fret not, for we do not struggle in vain for the Holy Spirit will surely help us.

“Teach me to die to myself every day of my life” must be a part of our daily prayer because unless we die, “God’s will” shall not live.

Losing our lives for him is gaining everything.

Are we ready to lose our lives and give up our desires?

Today is a Perfect Day to Die (my new year message)

Bago ang lahat, ako at ang aking pamilya ay bumabati sa lahat ng Manigong Bagong Taon at isang Masaganang 2011 sa lahat.

The statement “to die oneself” must of course not be taken literally but figuratively.



In the Christian perspective it means to put behind all the sinful things and to start life anew. It means to be dead to sin and be alive in Christ.



As a new century unfolds, let us continue our pursuit in fulfilling our God-given mission, to spread love and be a channel of peace. May our new "New Year's Resolution" is to remain our old selves "dead."



The year 2010 was a year full of storms and tragedies in our lives individually and collectively as a nation. Yet with our fortitude and faith we managed to endure.



And here we are once again, welcoming a new challenge 2011 will dish up on us. May the God that carried us through in 2010 may once again show off his power and prove his might on 2011.



Happy New Year and may all our old selves pass away

5 Ways of Men to know if They Are Really In Love With A Woman

1. When you see in her your dream family. When you can picture what kind of mother she will be like to your kids.

Loving the invisible is probably the best kind of love on the planet. Invisible here is your "future family."

2. When you are willing to let go some of your wants and dreams in exchange of having her for a lifetime.

Think of a precious item in your life right now. It could be your education or your work or it could be your money or your dream car or dream motorbike or a dream life in the future. Now imagine that you are in a situation where you need to choose only one. If you choose her then you may now put a check on this item and proceed to number 3.

3. When you pray that God will grant you to her.

God, being the author of love must always be included because if not...its no love at all but a mere passion of likeness. If the author of love is not included in a relationship...there is no love.

4. When despite knowing the negative attributes youre still willing to spend a lifetime with her.

Acceptance is probably the ultimate indicator of love. When knowing the evils on her, you still long to be with the person and dream to be with her for the rest of your life just as she is.

5. When after knowing her dark past you looked at her just as the same.

Similar to number 5 acceptance also comes into play on this item.

Dark pasts may once in a while haunt an individual (especially women) and may be a hazard to a present relationship. However you must view this not as a mere hazard but also an opportunity to prove if youre really in love with the person.



Loving a person includes loving her entirety. Entirety includes the past, present and the future of the individual.

Studying for the People

by Manuel A. Rodriguez II


Why was I studying? For who or what was I sacrificing? Partly, it was that blind belief that my parents have instilled on my mind since I was a kid. Now that I am a grown-up I realized that what was instilled on me by my parents is a blind belief in learning upon which they both had placed such reliance. Please do not get me wrong on it, blind belief as it may be but it did helped me anyway in earning a Bachelor of Arts degree back in 2009 and I thank them for that and their support.

Studying, besides being a vague struggle to escape my inheritance (poverty), which is also the inheritance of many Filipinos, it was a manifestation of a fact that exists among our fellowmen, in which accomplishment becomes a fetish.

We Filipinos have been for so long under the control of foreign powers, who look down on us from what they deem to be their pretentious standards, that our own barely audible aspirations have been strained to search for any outlet no matter what. It did not matter that our knowledge, once acquired, would be exhausted in a cramped, repressed, unproductive society.

The degree was the thing; the honor was the objective; it lifted the Filipino of the past above the sweaty mass.


And yet, THAT WAS NOT MY PURPOSE. From the beginning I wanted to be a doctor. When I was in kindergarten I was inspired by then Secretary of the Department of Health who visited our school and promoted a government health program for the children like me. I and my classmates made him a thank you card because we enjoyed his visit on our school. I will never forget that man; his name is Doctor Juan Flavier.


Dr. Flavier became a senator years later after serving in DOH. Senator Flavier is now retired on public service and yet his visit on my kindergarten more than a decade ago is still very vivid in my memory. I once said to myself that I wanted to be a doctor like Doctor Juan is.


My grandmother whom we are fondly of calling “Nanay” told me stories from the barrios during wartime. There she said, the people died without tasting a medicine, died gradually, and with suffering. The “albularyos” were the tenet, muttering magic words over cancers, tuberculosis and beri-beri. Primarily, I was interested in pediatric medicine, to save the young.

There were many things to be enjoyed in one’s short life. Even while working hard at a field, a tired farmer would look up and notice the way a line of trees lifted at the horizon and he would think that life was good. At its most miserable there was still much in it that was enjoyable.


In the barrios according to my Nanay if a child died the people bowed and said: “It is the will of God,” as they had been taught by their parish. Even as a child listening to my Nanay, It was never my will to accept it that way.



Then afterwards, I thought of studying law. I would be a lawyer for the people particularly for the rural poor (those similarly situated with the wartime barrio people my Nanay told me), not one who prosecuted them in the courts and even used the statutes which sounded good to the advantage of the landlord and the consumerist. I would defend the people with all my honesty.
During election time I listened to the candidates. Every election whether national or barangay level it was the same. “The people this, the people that.” After campaign, the word “people” was stricken from the vocabularies of the winners, who sat on their polished chairs and collected both graft and salary, equally, with both hands, form the people.


The men I admired as I grew older were all simple men who had a genuine sympathy for the people. Senator Flavier is one, for his being a doctor to the barrios, Senator Jovy Salonga for his eloquence on his faith in the public sphere, Congressman Crispin Beltran for his fortitude in advancing the interest of the working class, the militancy of Bonifacio, Rizal and his dedication. I was impressed by Joan of Arc, Rizal, and Jesus Christ because they went to their deaths for what they believed, and their beliefs were common and of the people.


I had begun to arrive, in a small way, at a philosophy, “If you do it, make sure you’ll finish it and do it with all your heart. If what you will do will benefit many people, though it threatens your happiness and safety, sacrifice your happiness and safety for your noble purpose.”


Such philosophy is my answer to the question my faith had posed on me; “What Would Jesus Do?”


Initially due to the blind belief my parents have instilled, I was studying to escape the constricted confines of poor Filipinos, but my efforts only led me to the conviction that the poor Filipinos was all important, and that I was inferior to it.



GOD BLESS THE FILIPINO.

Senador Trillanes, Ang Makabagong Bonifacio

Ni Manuel A. Rodriguez II


Giniba ni Antonio Trillanes IV ang kulturang pang eleksyon ng Pilipino noong sya ay kumandidato bilang isang Senador noong 2007. Hindi pinanganak sa isang mayaman o maiplwensyang pulitikal na pamilya, ang kanya lamang nagsilbing alas noong panahon ng kampanya ay ang kanyang pagiging kilala bilang pinuno ng “Oakwood mutiny.”

Suot ang pulang “armbands” na may tatak ng Magdalo, si Sonny Trillanes ay nag mistulang makabagong Bonifacio at rebeldeng may prinsipyong pinaglalaban – ang isabulat ang kanser ng kurapsyon na nagbibigay panganib sa buhay ng mga kapwa niya sundalo. Alam niya ang malaking kaibahan ng Batas sa Hustisya, sinuway man nya ang batas sa pagiging isang rebelde, ito ay para mabigyang daan ang Hustisya na siyang may mas mabigat na importansya.

Taon 2007, hindi man makasabay sa mga makukulay na kampanya ng mga kapwa nya kandidato, si Trillanes ay nagwagi dahil sa mga boto ng mga ordinaryong tao at hindi ng mga elitista at mayayaman. Si “Senador Trillanes” ay likha hindi ng maimpluwensya kundi ng masang Pilipino.

Nakakalunkot isipin ngunit simula ng kanyang pagkapanalo sa halalan ng 2007, ang kanyang opisina sa Senado ay nananatiling bakante dahil sa kanyang pagiging “detainee” sa Camp Crame.

Gayunpaman, hindi napipigilan ng rehas at kunkretong pader ng Camp Crame ang kagustuhan mg mabuting Senador na gampanan ang kanyang tungkulin at huwag biguin ang milyong Pilipino na nagbigay ng suporta.

Kailan lamang ay naglabas si Senador Trillanes ng resolusyon na magsagawa ng hearing ukol sa Memorandum na inilabas ng Commission on Higher Education (CHED) at ng Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) na nagpapabawal sa mga graduates ng mga State Universities and Colleges na makakuha ng licensure examinations kung ang kanilang paaralan ay hindi naka kuha ng permit mula sa Commission. Maraming public na Unibersidad at Kolehiyo ang nag kwestiyon sa memorandum na ito sapagkat hindi iyon produkto ng konsultasyon sa kanilang pagitan.

Ipit sa kalagitnaan ng debateng ukol sa nasabing Memorandum ay ang libo-libong graduate ng Nursing, Accountancy at Engineering, na syang nangangailangan makakuha ng licensure examination.
Inilabas ng Senador ang resolusyon na magsagawa ng hearing ukol dito sa kanyang kakayahan bilang Chairperson ng Senate Committee on Civil Service and Government Reorganization.
Pitong taon at tatlong buwan na ang minalagi ng Senador sa kulungan. Sa kabila ng “Oakwood Mutiny,” labing-isang milyon ang bumoto sa kanya para sa Senado.
Kamakailan lamang pinirmahan ni Pangulong Aquino ang “amnesty” ni Senador Trillanes at ng ibang rebeldeng kasangkot sa “Oakwood mutiny.” Oras na lamang ang inaantay ayon kay Senador Sotto para sa kalayaan ng rebeldeng senador.

Magiging maganda sa paningin ng mga tagasuporta na makita nila ang Senador na lumakad palayo sa kanyang kulungan at tumungo sa kanyang opisina sa Senado. Marami na ang oras na nasayang at marami pa ang kanyang dapat gawin.

Mayroon pa siyang kinabukasang dapat bigyang katuparan, pamilyang dapat ipagbuklod muli, at Republikang dapat ipaglaban bilang Senador ng masang Pilipino.
Senador Antonio Trillanes, ang makabagong Gat Andres Bonifacio.