On Cybersecurity and Human Rights in the Philippines

Manuel A. Rodriguez II

Cyberspace, as the fifth common domain – after land, sea, air and outer space, is in great need for coordination, cooperation and legal measures among all nations. A cyberspace treaty or a set of treaties at the United Nations level, counting cybersecurity, cybercrime and other cyber hazards, should be the framework for peace, justice and security in the electronic world (Schjolberg & Helie, 2011).

Crimes against peace and security in cyberspace should be established as crimes under international law through a Convention or Protocol at the United Nations level for mankind will in the future be completely dependent on information and communication technologies (Ibid).

With the fast changing innovation of technology is new conduct developed among individuals. Good or bad, these forms of conduct, however, must be classified so as to determine those which are gradually destroying our aim for a better environment (Jalayajay & Garcia, 2011).

Serious crimes in cyberspace should be established under international law, whether or not they are punishable under national law (Id.). The main purpose of enacting a law is to govern the conduct of individuals, and to regulate it so as to promote social order. Any conduct, which seems to be in violation of a person’s right must be governed and regulated by a law (ibid).

The Dawn of the Controversial RA 10175

Last September 12, 2012, Philippine President Benigno Simeon Aquino III signed the Republic Act 10175 (RA 10175) or The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 into law to prevent various electronic offenses including forgery, fraud, and identity theft and child pornography. The new crimes are grouped into two sections in the new RA 10175: Internet Crimes and Commercial Crimes. Another new crime created under the new law is “Cyber-Squatting” which is “the acquisition of a person’s domain name in bad faith to profit, mislead, destroy the reputation and deprive others from registering the same.”

On October 3, 2012 the day one of the effectivity of the controversial law, the Philippine Government faced a bombardment of protests. Major news outlets, bloggers, human rights advocates and other critics turned their social media profile black to express their dismay to the Government and indignation on the said piece of legislation. 

The Philippines has one of Asia's most effervescent democracies. But critics say the law echoes strategy to quiet and keep an eye on critics used by former strongman President Ferdinand Marcos when he imposed martial law in the 1970s (Macaraig, 2012).

Orwellian Society Philippines?

"Orwellian" is an adjective describing the situation, idea, or societal condition that George Orwell identified as being destructive to the welfare of a free and open society. It connotes an attitude and a policy of control by propaganda, surveillance, misinformation, denial of truth, and manipulation of the past, including the "unperson" — a person whose past existence is expunged from the public record and memory, practiced by modern repressive governments. Often, this includes the circumstances depicted in Orwell’s novels particularly in the award winning novel, Nineteen-eighty-four (Wikipedia.com).

            The most common sense of an “Orwellian” society is the state of complete control of the Government over its subjects, wherein improper thoughts against the Government is a serious crime.  

The dawn of the Cybercrime Prevention Act may have brought to us an online version of an “Orwellian” Philippines. Such a kind of legislation must and should be abhorred for being contrary to the Due Process Clause enshrined on our Constitution, however, declaring a law as unconstitutional is a power vested only in one Supreme Court. As opined by United States Supreme Court Magistrate, Evans Hughes: “Constitution is what the Judges say it is.”

The Constitution is the guide

which I will never abandon.

-          George Washington

Cybersecurity, Human Rights, and Civil Liberties

Internet, the network of networks, is an outstanding way of getting in touch with people and making links. It contributes to the spread of knowledge, to social and economic development and, if nothing else, it can be a way of elevating personal life. But it should not be forgotten that it is also a utensil of power, a place of bazaar where everything can be bought and sold, including personal data malicious software and crimeware tools (Schjolberg & Stein, 2011).

Internet can also be considered as an instrument that allows the development of digital surveillance on a very large scale. This contributes to potentially threatening several human freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of movement (the right to travel and to navigate freely on the Internet), the right to knowledge and information, and the right to respect for private life, family and correspondence. In the world of digital technology, every activity leaves a trace.  Cyberspace is billed as being free but people end up paying for their actions in some way, often payment in kind by providing their personal data (Ibid.).

Connecting the world in a responsible manner should guarantee fundamental human rights and civil liberties as well as the fair and honest handling of personal data. It should help the rethinking of economic models to ensure that personal data are not just considered as an asset to be traded.

Finding a realistic balance between the needs and duties of protection, between the protection of individual and common interests, between the respect of national sovereignty and the need for international collaboration, all the while keeping fundamental human rights in mind, is essential.

It would be reasonable to use these points as a main axis for development for cybersecurity measures. Both public and private players should propose technical, legal and economic cybersecurity solutions which are viable and convincing at national and international levels, in order to allow the police and justice systems to function efficiently without damaging fundamental freedoms. It should be kept in mind, however, that no single measure or security solution can protect against the consequences of injustice (ibid.).

The objective is to offer workable solutions for preserving national sovereignty as well as managing cybersecurity and the fight against cybercrime and terrorism, at both a national and an international level. At the same time, there is a real need to develop measures that foster a fair use of personal data and digital privacy for everyone (individual, organization and state) (ibid.).

Cyberspace is not merely virtual; it represents an idea of the world with a political, and economic and social reality.

Why the Supreme Court Should Abhor RA 10175

Section 1 of Article III of the Bill of Rights of the 1987 Constitution provides that 'no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws.'

However, under Section 19 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act, 'when a computer data is prima facie found to be in violation of the provisions of this Act, the Department of Justice (DOJ) shall issue an order to restrict or block access to such computer.'" No court intervention is needed; the DOJ can go right ahead and compel you to stop publishing your posts (Sta. Maria, 2012). It is like police officials breaking inside your home and takes any property of yours without a warrant issued by a Judge.

            The abovementioned is the strongest reason why the law should be declared unconstitutional. Other crimes being prohibited by the law as found out by the writer of this article is reasonable, in fact some crimes in the new law is already prohibited by the Government prior to the enactment of RA 10175 by other special laws and the Revised Penal Code. However, the duration of the penalty prescribed in the new law is not reasonable.

Conclusion

While it may be true that the law has good intentions, nevertheless the end can never justify the means. The Government exist not only to protect the people but also to preserve their rights, if one of those two tasks is left undone then the Government is a failure. Those two tasks are not options for the Government to perform; they are responsibilities which must be performed. Protect the people and preserve rights.

The rights of the people do not end in courts, in the parliament of the streets, or anywhere on Earth. It extends to the intangible world of social media and on the Internet at large. The web is a mere extension of our physical world therefore the Constitution remains supreme therein.

REFERENCES:

Jalayajay, Betsy Rose & Garcia, Ma. Shiela (2011) DEALING WITH CYBERCRIMES: The Extent and Application of Current Laws. Far Eastern Law Review, Vol. XLII, 2011

Macaraig, Meynardo (2012) Protests as Philippine Cybercrime Law takes effect. www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/276649/scitech/technology/protect-as-philippine-cybercrime-law-takes-effect

Scjolberg, Stein & Ghernaouti – Helie, Solange (2011) A Global Treaty on Cybersecurity and Cybercrime. Cybercrimelaw.net

Sta. Maria, Melencio (2012) An Interaksyon.com Article. www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/276434/scitech/socialmedia/digital-martial-law-10-scary-things-about-the-cybercrime-prevention-act-of-2012

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orwellian

Republic Act 10175. AN ACT DEFINING CYBERCRIME, PROVIDING FOR THE PREVENTION, INVESTIGATION, SUPRESSION AND THE IMPOSITION OF PENALTIES THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. Signed September 12, 2012. Took effect October 30, 2012

Tribute to the Hero of My Childhood

To the Heavens and Moon 1969: Returning to the Heavens with his passing August 25 2012.

I don't know much about the guy. All that I know is that he is the first man on the moon and (I guess) my first childhood hero. Neil Armstrong was an icon in 1969. Nevertheless, the impact he made to to mankind resounded till the early 90's. 

When I was a kid, I wanted to be like him. One time I remember, my pre-school teacher asked me what I want to be when  I grow up...I answered, "AN ASTRONAUT!" I wanted to be the first to put the Philippine flag on the moon. For me, Mr. Armstrong represents the childhood dreams of many people. 

When we were young, we always think that our "hero" is the greatest, the strongest, and the best. Maybe, there is still a piece of that childhood mentality to every grown-up  person. On August 25, 2012, Mr. Armstrong died and I felt a bit of disappointment. Maybe, at the back of my mind I still carry the idea that my "hero" is the best, the strongest, and it is just a disappointment to the child in me that my "superhero" just died. I guess that is the time when reality is setting back in. Reminding me that my hero Armstrong is not the same as my other heroes who are just a pigment of creative mind of comic artists. 

Real heroes die, heroes in comics doesn't. Superman is immortal, Mr. Armstrong is an 82 year old with a heart ailment. They both went to space, however, Mr. Armstrong is a real person and can be an inspiration to every kid that you don't need to become Superman to reach the moon. Thanks for the good memories Mr. Armstrong. 

Have a great journey back to the heavens. Go beyond the moon this time Sir.

KANINO ANG TUNAY NA TAGUMPAY?

Bago pa man magtapos ang Impeachment Trial ng ating (dating) Chief Justice na si Renato Corona, ay akin ng napag desisyunan na respetuhin ang anu mang kalabasan nito. Maging ito man ay hindi sang ayon sa aking nais na maganap para sa bayan. At ganoon nga ang naganap, labin dalawang Senador ang bumoto na “guilty,” at tunay nga na pinataw ang hindi nais sa aking opinyon. Gaya ng aking pangako sa sarili, pinilit ko galangin ang taliwas sa aking pinaglalabang paniniwala sapagkat ako ay may respeto sa institusyon na nilikha ng ating Saligang Batas.

Ngayon at tapos na ang palilitis, ilang mga katanungan ang pumasok sa aking isip kaugnay sa pinag daanan natin bilang isang Estado. Ano ang napatunayan ng administrasyong Aquino sa naganap? Ano kinabukasan ng ating bayan ngayon at wala na ang Punong Mahistrado? Yayaman na ba tayo bilang Bansa? Mawawalan na ba ng mga buwayang opisyal ang Pamahalaan? Ang pagkawala ba ni Corona ay tanda ng isang bagong hudikatura na malinis at tapat? Sino ang tunay na panalo sa Impeachment Trial na naganap?

Habang kasalukuyan ng paglilitis, minsan kung binangit na habang opinyon ko na dapat mapa walang sala ang nasasakdal, higit ko paring nais ang katapusan ng Impeachment Trial ano man ang maging desisyon. Sa aking palagay, habang tumatagal ang paglilitis na iyon ay tayong mga mamamayan ang tunay na talo.

At ngayon na tapos na ang tila apatnaput-apat na episode ng isang teleserye, nagwagi na ba ang mamamayang Pilipino?

Sa aking palagay ay dalawa ang kasagutan sa huling katanungan na iyon. Oo at Hindi.

Oo, dahil sa wakas ay pagkakataon na ito para humakbang na padiretso ang ating Bayan galing sa isang mabigat na pagsubok.

Oo, dahil ang pagpapatalsik kay Corona ay isang mabigat na mensahe sa bawat isang kawal ng Gobyerno mula sa Barangay hanggang Malakanyang.

Oo, dahil ito ay tila nakapagpa tibay ng pananampalataya ng mamamayan sa mga institusyon ng ating Gobyerno, na hindi lahat ng isyu ay dapat idaan sa lansangan, at na mayroon silang matibay na sandigan sa ating Pamahalaan. Oo, dahil minsan sa iyong buhay ay marahil nakipag talo ka sa ka-opisina, kaklase o kapitbahay ukol sa isyu…ibig sabihin lamang na mayroon kang pakialam at mahal mo ang bayan.

Marami pa akong maraming maidagdag na dahilan kung bakit “Oo,” at bakit tunay na nagtagumpay ang mamamayang Pilipino sa naganap.  Pero ang pag bigay puna natin sa dahilan ng kasagutang “hindi” ay marahil makatulong sa atin sa pag tahak sa “tuwid na daan,” at gumising sa ating diwa at realisasyon kung ano ang tunay na makakabuti sa ating bayan. Dahil ang pagtangap sa katotohanan gaano man ito hindi ka nais-nais ay masakit ngunit higit na makakabuti.

Hindi tayo matagumpay sa naganap pagkat si Corona ay isa lamang sa labin-limang mahistrado ng Korte Suprema. Marami tayong reklamo sa mga hindi patas na nagiging desisyon ng Korte Suprema, ngunit hindi natin ito nalutas pagkat si Corona ay isang boto lamang sa labin-lima. Kung tunay na hindi sila nagging patas, patuloy parin sila magiging hindi patas pagkat isa lamang ang nawala sa kanila.

Hindi tayo matagumpay dahil nabuksan natin sa mundo ng pulitika ang Hudikatura. Ang mga hukom ay hindi pulitiko, at hindi sila binoboto nating mamamayan para malagay sa pwesto. Tama lamang na ganito ang sistema upang maiwasang mabigyan ng kulay ang bawat desisyon na kanilang pinapataw. Upang magdesisyon sila na ayon sa kanilang sariling pagtimbang sa kaso at sa batas na walang halong pagpapa-pogi sa opinyon ng taumbayan. Ito rin ang dahilan kung bakit hindi maaaring ipalabas sa telebisyon ang paglilitis ng isang regular na korte at ng Korte Suprema.

Hindi tayo matagumpay dahil walang duda na naapakan ang personal na karapatan ni Corona sa naganap na paglilitis. Mula sa paghain ng reklamo hanggang sa presentasyon ng ebidensya, maraming abogado at eksperto ang magsasabi ng iregularidad na naganap. Gaya ng mga ebidesya na walang “authentication.” Sa regular na korte ay hindi ito papansinin ng Hukom na parang hindi nya ito nakita. Hindi ito nangyari sa Impeachment Court. Marami ring Senador ang nagbitaw ng hatol na galing umano sa “kunsiyensya.” Ang pagiging Hukom ay dapat marunong kumilatis ng dapat tangaping ebidensya. Ang isang Hukom ay dapat mag bigay lamang ng buhay sa batas at hindi dagdagan ito ng emosyon ng isang taong mortal. At dahil naapakan ang karapatan ni Corona na pinakamataas na Mahistrado, walang duda na mas madali tapakan ang karapatan ng isang ordinaryong Pilipino.

Hindi tayo matagumpay dahil ang mahirap noong nakaupo si Corona ay mahirap parin sa mga susunod na araw. Ang kurakot sa gobyerno ay walang kasiguraduhang magiging tuwid.

Hindi tayo matagumpay dahil hindi si Corona ang tunay nating kalaban. Ang ating kalaban ay ang ating mga makasalanang sarili. Ginawa nating karumaldumal ang kalagayan ng ating Bayang minsang masagana. Ang kurapsyon ay nagaganap hindi lamang sa gobyerno kundi pati sa pribadong sektor.  Ang pinaka-simple sa lahat ng batas, ang batas trapiko ay hindi masunod-sunod. Bawat eleksyon ay may pagtanggap ng pera na nagaganap ng isang botante. Bawat trasaksyon sa Gobyerno ay may under-the-table.  

Ano ang ating tunay na napatunayan? Na ang mga Pilipino ay kayang magpatalsik ng kurakot na lider? Mga kababayan matagal na po nating napatunayan iyon. Dalawang People Power at isang impeachment verdict na natin iyon naipakita sa mundo. Walang duda na kaya natin pumiglas sa masamang lider.

Ang tanong ngayon ay kung kaya ba nating pumiglas sa masamang kalagayan bilang isang Bansa.

Ang mga kadahilanan kung bakit hindi tayo matagumpay ay hindi ko binangit para siraan ang administrasyon at ang masigasig na bagong pag-asa ng ordinaryong Pilipino. Ito ay hamon sa ating lahat saan mang sector ng lipunan kabilang.

Ang pagtataguyod ng ating Bayan ay responsibilidad hindi lamang ng Gobyerno, ito ay responsibilidad ng bawat isa. Sana ang natapos na Impeachment Trial ay simula ng isang magandang bukas para sa Bansa. Wala tayo magagawa sa ngayon kundi ay manalangin at umasa na iyon ay matupad.

Nawa’y ang Bansang Pilipinas ay magbigay buhay sa katagang “Dakila ang Bansa na ang Diyos ang siyang Panginoon.”

MANILA, MAY 29, 2012

Is ‘Vox Populi’ still ‘Vox Dei’?

By Manuel Rodriguez II 

The latin maxim “vox populi, vox dei” has always been a motto of any democratic nation, translated in English it means “the voice of the people is the voice of God.” In the Philippines, the said motto is continuously being used especially during election season. Our very own Constitution is no less emphatic in adherence to the motto; on its very own words it is stated that ‘sovereignty resides in the people.’ 

As a member of a democratic institution, we are already used in hearing the concept of ‘vox populi, vox dei.’ Many Filipinos never dared to question its truthfulness despite the knowledge that human beings are very susceptible to commit mistakes. Logic will tell us that human beings, being imperfect cannot dictate what the ‘voice of God’ should be. 

 Filipinos, with total reliance to the ‘maxim’ (probably due to their religiosity), became irresponsible in using the most precious God-given gift our Nation has, namely our democracy. With the emergence of technology and the strengthening of the media, people’s thoughts are became easily prone to influence, therefore, high profiled people already has the power to manipulate what the ‘people’s voice’ (God’s voice) will be. It’s like them playing god, or becoming the ‘Big Brother’ of Orwell’s classic. Now a query is posed by the circumstance, “Is vox populi still vox dei?”

With the current political crisis that we are facing, specifically the ongoing existence of an Impeachment Court with the highest magistrate as defendant, what role must public opinion play? 

A survey conducted by Pulse Asia (many would like to refer to it as the ‘False’ Asia) said that 47 percent of Filipinos think Chief Justice Corona is guilty of the charges filed against him, 43 percent are undecided, and only 5 percent say believe he is innocent. The remaining 5 percent are the ones who claim that they do not have enough basis to make a decision. Again, let me pose a query, does the survey mirror the “voice of God?” 

The survey was conducted to 1,900 respondents across the country. I am no expert in surveys or in statistics, but in my personal opinion, I do not think that the 1,900 can speak to the more than 90 million Filipinos. What the survey did was only to destroy the thinking caps of our fellowmen and tilted their beliefs to be against Corona by having a press release that says he is unpopular. Once again, we saw a showcase on how powerful media is in manipulating the opinion of many. Sad but true, Filipinos are poor thinkers as regards political stands. How many times have we elected an official whom we later on regretted? Many. 

Another point is about the timing of the said survey. Pulse Asia conducted the survey from Feb 26 to March 9, before the defense presented its evidence in the impeachment court. Therefore, the veracity is questionable. How come the 47 percent arrived on a conclusion that the Chief Justice is guilty when in fact there is no evidence from the defense team has been presented yet? Common sense tells us that the Pulse Asia survey was conducted prematurely. 

Our fellowmen (especially the Senator-Judges), must base their opinion on an educated analysis of the evidence presented. While it is true that not all citizens are learned in the science and art of law, a sense of justice is surely present in the consciousness of everyone.

One must view an issue objectively and with an open mind, that is the essence of the “principle of due process” and the “rule of law.” When this is done, issues may be seen differently. The propaganda of the President against Corona outside the impeachment court will be seen as unjust, the signing of the 188 Congressmen will be seen as capricious, and the accusations in the impeachment will be seen as weak arguments, the court performance of the prosecution team will be seen as unpersuasive, and His Excellency will be seen as a tyrant. 

These things are what I saw using objective eyes, it is my hope that you too will see things in this light. We can all agree to disagree. I respect the adverse opinion of others on this issue; all that I ask is for an educated stance in siding either for the prosecution or for the defense. And for the record, it is not the Chief Justice that I support, it just so happened that he is the one at the other end of the rope. What I support are the principles of justice, the rule of law and the independence of the Judiciary. In my view, if we let the Chief Justice’s Constitutional rights be trampled upon, all the more we open the door to let them trample upon our rights as mere ordinary citizens. 

The impeachment court’s duty now is to administer justice and not to conform to the opinion of the public. As pointed out by the Presiding Officer, the Honorable Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile: 

“I will look at the evidence. If we use surveys to convict a person charged in the courts, then we don’t need courts. All we have to do is conduct surveys whenever somebody is charged.”

Let us be remembered that the Son of God himself was a victim of a “survey judgment.” It was public opinion that led him to be hanged on the cross instead of Barabas. I do not think that the Jewish chanting “kill him” and “crucify him” is the “voice of God.” 

I am not advocating that ‘survey firms’ should be banned. I believe that banning them will lead to a violation of their constitutional right to expression. What I am saying merely is that, every person must be responsible in their actions. Article 19 of our Civil Code says it all: 

“Every person in the exercise of his rights and in the performance of his duties, act with justice, give everyone his due, and observe honesty and good faith.” 

I think aside from the results, survey firms should disclose other facts behind the conducting of the survey such as the margin of error used, the number of respondents, the purpose of the survey, the questions in the survey, the time the survey was conducted, what party sponsored the survey and other relevant information so as to educate the people on how to properly assess a political issue (especially during election time).

There is really no hard and fast rule to determine the true “voice of God.” Ergo, the answer to the question on whether ‘vox populi’ is ‘vox dei’ is “not always.” All we could do as mere mortals is to live out the wordings of Civil Code’s Article 19, hold on to our faith, and be responsible in using the democracy that we have. 

We Filipinos should be united in two things, first, united in prayer to make our fellowmen wise citizens and second, united in action, that in all our dealings we contribute to nation building. 

MANILA, March 27, 2012

Hope That Does Not Disappoint

By Manuel Rodriguez II

God’s hope does not disappoint.

When we hear the word “hope,” it stresses two things. First, it stresses futurity, event or events that which is about to happen. The second one, it stresses about the invisible things, or the things that are not present yet, things we want to come on our lives.

Biblically speaking, the word hope means strong and confident expectation. It is never static or passive, in fact it is dynamic, and it is active, directive and life-sustaining.

The question now is how can we be sure in the midst of suffering to take hold of this (biblical) hope?

In the midst of pain and suffering Jesus Christ tells us to be uncompromising, unwavering and unshakable.

UNCOMPROMISING

Be determined to have that hope.

Romans 5:1-2 says: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into his grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. The point on the verse is God’s grace will grant you peace. A parallel verse made the message clearer, Hebrews 4:15 - 16 states: For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities…Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

If we are determined, the mercy and grace of God will come to us. Then we can hope.

The story of the apostle Thomas in the Bible will teach us this kind of determination. Whether we see Thomas as the doubter or the believer, in any case we will see the grace of God in his story.

The account says that Thomas doubted, but we can be sure that he was determined to see the piercing on the hands of Jesus. Jesus could have ascended to Heaven right away without proving himself to Thomas, but he came to his disciple to satisfy the doubt. He came back for Thomas, the doubting disciple.

God will show up and will prove his grace to you.

Like Thomas, we also have doubts and questions. And the faithfulness of God tells us He has answers. Just like what Jesus did to Thomas, he too will come back to us just to satisfy our doubt even to the point of showing up again. So that you will be continued to be strengthen on your faith. Like Thomas, we too should be determined.


UNWAVERING

Be focused to have that hope.

God’s grace will allow you to possess the future.

Romans 5 tells us how the “hope” were talking about is produced. To summarize the entire chapter it points out that we should rejoice in tribulations for it produces patience, and patience produces experience, and experience produces “hope.”

The Bible tells us that we should be focused despite pain and sufferings because it leads to hope. If we remain focused, hope will be secured in our lives.

In the resurrection account in John 20, we’ll see the story of Mary Magdalene. There she was very sorrowful facing the empty tomb of Jesus Christ.

We know the story; she stayed at the empty tomb, meaning she persevered despite her sorrow. She could have left the tomb, but she remained.

If Mary left, she will not see the risen Jesus. The lesson for us here is to persevere even on the moments of facing our empty tombs. We should remain and trust that Jesus will reveal himself.

Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us that God is always in control. It says: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

It is okay if we are struggling with reality, but we should hold on to Christ. If we do not turn our backs even in the midst of sufferings…we will see the glory of God. So we welcome pain with rejoicing, for we know that our God will deliver us victorious.

Suffering may be a word about today, but hope is a word about tomorrow.


UNSHAKABLE

Be in love with God.

Probably, out of the three this is the most difficult thing to do.

Despite the hardships and trials, he is asking us to love Him still. Why? Because the grace and love of God is more powerful than all our sufferings combined. So be in love with God even in suffering.

In this life, it is easier to lift the name of Jesus if things are going on our way, but it is harder if things are falling on places we do not expect.

The biblical account in John 21 is very popular. It is the story of the conversation of Jesus and Peter. In the said account Jesus asked Peter “do you love me?” thrice. The third time Jesus asked, Peter became a bit mad to Jesus for asking the same question over and over again. Of course we know what happened to Peter on the latter part of the story, he denied the Son of Man thrice. But let us not dwell on the story of Peter’s denial; instead we focus on the conversation between Peter and the Son of Man whom he called the Christ.

In our Bible translations probably we failed to see a message on the word “love” Jesus mentioned on his question “do you love me?” to Peter due to the rich grammar of its original Greek scriptures counterpart.

In the Greek Bible, the first and second “do you love me?” question to Peter, Jesus is talking about the unconditional love translated to greek as agape. Peter replied to Jesus, “Yes Lord, I love you.” The “love” Peter mentioned on his answer to the query of his master refers to brotherly love or phileis in Greek.

The third time the Christ asked Peter “Do you love me?” he stoop down to the level of Love Peter can give. There, Jesus was referred to the brotherly kind of love (phileis).

To give a wide-ranging view of the scenario of the account between Jesus and Peter here’s a better translation/version of the conversation:

JESUS: Do you love me unconditionally (agape)?

PETER: Yes Lord, I love you with a brotherly love (phileis).

JESUS: Do you love me unconditionally (agape)?

PETER: Yes Lord, I love you with a brotherly love (phileis).

JESUS: Peter, do you love me with a brotherly kind of love (phileis)?

PETER: Yes Lord, I love you with a brotherly kind of love (phileis), how many times do I need to tell you that Lord?!

The above conversation, tells us what really transpired between Peter and the man he called the Son of the Living God. But what does the story tell us now.

He is willing to step down for us so we could hope simply because he loves us unconditionally (agape). Like what happened to the story of the doubting Thomas, Jesus went back for his disciple because he loves him. God’s love can reach us.

Brothers and sisters do not stop loving our Lord. He is willing to receive your love no matter how small. No love given to Jesus is insignificant.

We can always hope because we know God loves us. He will always step down; he will always go back for the Thomases and the Mary Magdalenes.

That is the kind of hope that we have, a hope that does not disappoint.

Therefore, the things we should remember in despair to gain hope are the following.

Be determined. Be focused. Be in love with God.

There is always a reason to hope.

Having Same Passion with the Christ

by Manuel Rodriguez II

John 21: 15-19

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

Jesus asked Peter: “Do you truly love me more than these?” As Jesus asked that question, he went straight to the matter of the heart.

That question put a shame on Peter and unto us as well. The question to Peter is still being asked by the Lord to us now, “Do you truly love me more than these?” To rephrase the question Jesus asked it says: “Am I of second importance to you?”

Who is God to us anyway? In the question to Peter let me emphasize on the adverb truly.
Peter was asked by the Christ three times. Biblical scholars say that if a phrase, word or sentence in the Scriptures is mentioned three times it means that it is emphasizing itself.
In asking that question to Peter (and to us) it should be clear that God wants us to know what’s inside of us. Most of the time people are being blinded, we thought we love someone but the truth is we don’t. We should be honest to ourselves.

God is all knowing, He knows the answer to His question. He is asking the question not for Him to know the answer but for us to know what is inside of our hearts.

As always, His grace allows us to see his presence. But more than His presence, the conversation between Jesus and Peter allowed us to see beyond His presence. It allowed us to see the passion of Jesus.

God want also His heart to be revealed to you. His passions. His ideas.
God is not just concerned whether you love Him. He is also concerned in sharing to you His heart.

What is the passion of Jesus? It’s the people!

The Bible says that the heart of Jesus cries out for the people. Let us remember the lepers, the tax collectors, the prostitute, the poor people and etc. His heart cries out for all.

That passion is what he wants to share with us.
“Feed my lambs.”
“Take care of my sheep.”
“Feed my sheep.”

If we have truly seen the Lord, then we have seen His heart. If we have truly seen the Lord, then we have also his passion.

For Jesus…people matters. Not programs. Not ministries.

Jesus came to this world not to put up a program, not to put up a religion, not to establish an activity and etc. but to show His passion.

Do we care for the things that Jesus is caring about? Are we willing to exchange our personal interest for the One we love?

And if we look at the heart of Jesus, we’ll see ourselves inside because He cares for us. You were once lost but now you’re found. He is passionate about you.

This is the message He wants to share to Peter, and to all of us.

Our love to God is always translated to our love to the ones around us because the passion of Jesus is for the people. That should be the obvious lesson of the passage.

His heart cries out for you and me. He cares for the eternally significant.

My prayer is that we will be passionate to the people around us and care for what Jesus care, the eternally significant things.

Respond to love because that is the passion of the Lord. Is it easy for me to say? Yes I know, but not impossible because of Jesus Christ.

Think about the fishermen, the prostitute, the tax collectors, the unschooled, the criminals and etc. Jesus loved them all. We too should.

May we have the same passion with our Lord.

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.