Ignorance of the law excuses no one but I must admit, I am one of those who find it difficult studying law subject during college and it takes hard efforts in understanding them up to now. Those "buts", "ifs", "provided" words in the laws make me sick and tired and lost in interpretation, yes translation, and comprehension. Especially those amendments to amendment of the amended provisions-they make me insane to follow the comprehension and to understand. If me who is not good at the law, then why are those who know the law still in argue? A law, before it passed into law, had gone through a lot of thorough studies, debates, and ratifications, revisions maybe and yet has still questioned in errors. Why those good and excellent in laws can still find wrong in laws?
To put it in example, there was this long-week incident in one of the highest institutions in the Philippines, the Senate, as the venue of real life movie-like scenes. From running away, changes in Senate presidency, multiple gunshots, alleged under attack up to Facebook live to call supporters' vigil. People have witnessed the rise of disagreement of intelligent people, be it legal or personal. The volume of the arguments of the experts like the lawmakers, luminaries, chiefs, and political analysts was so audible, the exchange of articles of law to counter each other was persuasive. All were experts challenging the law and were seemed unbeatable wit versus wit, so what should we do? Do investigation. Narrative plays a very important convincing factor, but investigation will determine the truth from lies.
First and foremost-the warrant of arrest, though legit, had these opposing legislators that were able to look illegal the legal, has now validated its legitimacy. Earlier, the subject of arrest had enjoying the protective custody under the Senate responsibility, citing the respect to the institution to serve the arrest warrant against the member of respected Senate must be observed. These lawmakers knew very well their protective custody is just a tradition and not law, but the opposing legislators made the ordinary citizens persuaded to translate it as unlawful to serve the warrant of arrest, just to find out later the same respected institution taking the responsibility will allow the subject of the arrest escaped. For some, it was just so dismaying to feel these intellectual people were playing not only the law but also the citizens.
So, why are there flaws in a law? Well, because of changes of time, lack of human foresights, judicial interpretation, and here is the top of these maybe because of competing interest or political compromises The laws were carefully made to establish the guidance for human and other creatures to protect their basic rights and liberties, safeguard their peace, order and safety, maintain their customary code of acceptable conduct, social behavior, norms and rules within a society, community and profession, and maintain the established standards and accountabilities. And having these said, it takes a clever mind or a criminal mind actually to counter the law. As people say the laws were made to be found of the loopholes. For someone like me who is basic: whatever the law says, that's what should be followed. But there are intellectual people, and the problem with these intelligent people is they are nitpickers. Some smart people are constantly scrutinizing, complaining, and always pointing out even minor mistakes just to find faults. The worst is they are but just simply difficult to please skeptic and obsessed with picking out mistakes because of their personal calculation.
Going back to the Senate incident, though challenging but I have to understand the law and rules I am hearing. I too, found the whole brouhaha as betrayal, theatric, drama, and dishonesty in there. Looking the chronological of the events leads me to conclude it is staged that it eclipsed those heated debates of legal arguments. The lawmakers, who happen to be lawyers, are lawyering their interpretation of the laws. While this may be true 0that there is no perfect law, but if we will stick to our values over political interest, then humanity will benefit. And while these people can do it for a while, truth and justice cannot burry for long and they will come out later. Don't play with the law because none is above the law.