An 80-year-old poor man from Pangasinan once faced arrest over 10 kilos of mangoes.
Now, a former House Speaker Martin Romualdez accused in a ₱7.4-billion plunder case is facing arrest while being treated in a hospital.
The circumstances are different. The allegations are different. And everyone accused of a crime is entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence.
But the contrast is difficult to ignore.
For an elderly man with little, the machinery of justice can feel immediate, unforgiving and overwhelming. For someone who once wielded enormous political power, the process can unfold with lawyers, doctors, police officials and the protections that come with prominence.
This is why the issue is bigger than mangoes or billions.
Justice should not depend on wealth, influence or position.
A poor Filipino accused of taking something worth little deserves the same dignity under the law as a powerful Filipino accused of taking something worth billions.
The law must be firm—but it must also be fair.
If the justice system is to command the people’s trust, it must show that there is only one standard: equal justice for everyone.
Mangoes or billions, the law must see the person—not the power behind the person.