The Fourth Perspective

Is owning a firearm a right or a privilege? This is the question raised by a Filipimo congressman in a public hearing for the purpose of introducing an amendment to the Firearms law under Republic Act 10591. Some stakeholders answered yes, its a right. Some answered that it is a privilege. However, none of them was able to give a satisfactory explanation for their stand. In the Philippines firearm ownership is considered to be a privilege. Hence, stringent requirements were imposed to acquire a license to possess a firearm. Along with the requirements were exorbitant fees that exacted a burden akin to paying an annual real property tax. The process exalted the concerned government agencies into profit centers rather than cost centers.The issue lies on whether it is indeed a privilege or a right. Because, if it is a right, a firearm need not be licensed.  Let us try to delve on the issue with objectivity and impartiality. The substance of owning a firearm primarily rest on the co...

The dilemma in Matthew 22:37–39.  The Bible says, • 37: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" • 38: "This is the great and first commandment" • 39: "And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself"  The foregoing verses were actually a summation of the ten commandments. Details of which proved to be unburdensome. In substance, it was attuned to the tenet, "do not do unto others what you do not want do unto you". It is a neighborly love that may be equated to, "do not hate thy neighbor". Hence, firm believers found verse 37 to be far more unexacting and less inconvenient to follow, at least through the exercise of faith, principally because after all, God has no bias and prejudice. On the other hand, there seems to be some diificulty if not reluctance in abiding with verse 39. That is, "love thy neighbor as thyself ", since, it is somehow regarde...

Darkness is the absence of light! Everytime the earth moved in rotation, a part will veer away from the source of light, then there is darkness. It is unending, perpetual and repetitive. An accepted physicality, as if constantly reminding us that this perfect manifestation of truth via the natural law, has congruence, and is analogous to a mysticality. It was and is a declaration of a consequence, of cause and effect, displayed as a matter of fact, and the fact of the matter. It is far more hinting than telling. As above, so below! GOD said, "Let there be light", and there was light.- the physicality. Jesus said, " I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but with the light of life."- the mysticality.  Darkness other than its plain meaning but rather on spiritual plain is ignorance, evil, confusion, chaos, unhappiness, meaningless and lost of direction. We now see that this natural law, encompass in the word physics would correspond...

Eulogy on a birthday? What the heck are we saying here? Alright calm down and just read me out. We all know what EULOGY means. But for the sake of reflection, let us just reiterate what eulogy is. In general, it is an accolade delivered by a privileged love one for their dead. A tribute, not dissimilar to a posthumous award.The accolade relatively is a summation of a dead individual's benevolence, unique positive character as well as his/her contribution to society, organization and possibly to the personal lives of people belonging to his/ her immediate circle. It's a good thing to echo the person's positivities among those who survived his/her passing. It alleviates the pain of separation and stimulates and deepens the endearment to the one who passed away. The tragic irony is that it was never made known to the dead; that all along, he/she was being regarded that way. He can no longer hear and experience human appreciation of his existence; his works and achievements tha...

The spiritual battle is raging, persistent and unwavering, it has been so for centuries, but the spiritual assault has intensified and has never been so pronounced. The evil one is everywhere, he has infiltrated the mind, the very manifestation of the soul. Rites and rituals that glorifies his name were guised as entertainment, while the unsuspecting had unknowingly participated. He fomented egocentricity. His bait are power, fame, and fortune. His pole is long and far reaching, seducing insatiable greed and constant obsession for materialism. He is gnawing away the very foundation of faith while building upon it the new idealism centered upon man with the exclusion of God. He patiently crept in all fronts, from within to without, he distracted the mind, triumphantly, he redefined want as need, consequently creating a massive hypnotic distraction, with the intent to veer all, away from the truth... from the true selves. He is leisurely tearing down the tie towards heaven. His weapon...

Article 5 of the 1951 mutual defense treaty states that an armed attack—which would compel one partner to come to the defense of the other—includes an "armed attack on a metropolitan territory of either of the parties or on the Island territories under its jurisdiction in the Pacific Ocean, its armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific." The recent incident when China coastguard attacked and robbed a Phil. Navy vessel with axes knives and spears may well fall within the Article 5 of the mutual defense treaty. In recent separate pronouncement however, by Marcos and Sec. Austin, the attack must result to a dead Filipino before the treaty can be invoke, which in my opinion had changed the context of the provision. This seems to indicate that the US has no keen intention of confronting China for the South China sea or the West Philippine Sea. It is more apparent that all the preparations and prepositioning in the Pacific by the US forces are intended primarily for t...