As a parent, I share the pain of Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim over a family crisis he’s going through at the moment.

Lim’s son, Manny Santos Lim, 44, a businessman, was caught with two other men in Sta. Cruz, Manila, by narcotics agents in the act of selling P600,000 worth of shabu.

Lim has been uncompromising in his battle against drug pushers and traffickers. In previous years, he launched a “shame” campaign against suspected drug pushers by marking their houses with red paint.

Ironically, his son has become his own enemy.

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To many parents, a personal crisis like Lim’s would make them marshmallows.

They would, without a second thought, come to the aid of their beleaguered offspring. They would choose the bonds of family over society’s welfare.

Not Lim. Even to his son, he’s become “Dirty Harry,” a moniker given him for his unorthodox way of dealing with criminals.

The Manila mayor refuses to visit his son who is in the custody of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Administration (PDEA).

He has told PDEA chief Dionisio Santiago to treat his son like an ordinary violator and to throw the book at him.

“Buntot niya, hila niya (He should take responsibility for his action),” Lim said.

How many parents would be able to say that when their offspring are in trouble with the law?

An ordinary parent in the same situation as Lim’s would say, “mabait ang anak ko, di makabasag ng pinggan (he’s a good child, he can’t even hurt a fly),” even if the child is a confirmed mass murderer.

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At a certain point in the parent-child relationship, a parent loses control over his offspring.

In the animal kingdom, of which the human race is a part, the offspring becomes independent of its parents when it can already feed itself.

Although a child’s future behavior is determined by the love and care given by the parents in his early years, still there are children who were brought up well who go astray later in life.

In a family of strong men and women, there is bound to be a weakling.

Even in the best of families, there is bound to be a black sheep.

Such is the law of nature.

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The reorganization of the graft-ridden Court of Appeals started Wednesday.

Chief Justice Reynato Puno recalled some appellate court justices assigned at the Cebu and Cagayan de Oro branches to the main office in Manila.

But guess what? Most of the justices in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro have disobeyed the order for them to be reassigned to Manila.

They have filed a motion with the court for their retention.

My mole at the Court of Appeals said, “Ayaw nilang pumunta sa Maynila dahil malaking kita nila sa Cebu at Cagayan de Oro (They don’t want to be reassigned to Manila because they’re earning a lot of money in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro).”

Are these the people we call the “pillars of our justice system?”

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During Holy Week, instead of going to church, try to be alone by yourself and go into meditation.

Inhale and exhale. Observe the air getting into your nostrils and out of your mouth. Hold the air in your tummy for several seconds, then expel it slowly.

Then try to relax your entire body.

When you’re completely relaxed, close your eyes and ask yourself these questions: (1) Where did I come from before I came into this world? (2) Where am I going when I leave my body? (3) What’s the purpose of my stay on earth?

If you go into deep meditation chances are you will find the answers yourself.