Justice amid calamity

The Latin expression “Fiat justitia ruat caelum” or “let justice be done though the heavens fall” acquires contemporary meaning in relation to today’s scheduled appearance of controversial businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles before the Senate blue ribbon committee.

Napoles’ appearance coincides with the arrival of supertyphoon “Yolanda” in the country. While the Senate panel that will grill the “pork barrel queen” may do so within the confines of their comfy, air-conditioned halls, those provinces that are on “Yolanda’s” path may be too busy with their own survival to monitor the proceedings in the comfort of their soon-to-be flooded and battered homes.

Cynics and supporters of officials who were implicated in the pork barrel controversy may see “Yolanda’s” arrival as a sign from the heavens and make last minute appeals to reschedule the hearings to next week.

They may be disappointed by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma’s statement that natural calamities shouldn’t be interpreted as God’s divine punishment for wayward humanity in this part of the world, but merely as outside forces that are beyond one’s control.

So should the Senate blue ribbon committee make a last minute cancellation of its grilling of Napoles?

Congress has enjoyed its Halloween break and will soon end its sessions to spend the year-end holidays. The most visible danger to not having Napoles testify before the Senate, aside from upending the legal strategies of the Ombudsman in pursuing the cases against the officials in court, is losing public interest and outrage over the abuse of public funds of officials due to more urgent and very real concerns like keeping body and soul intact amid the severe onslaught of natural calamities.

Indeed, what does the Senate blue ribbon committee hope to achieve with their grilling of Napoles aside from grandstanding and scoring a few political brownie points?

At this time of disasters and utterly inane and parochial local officials who want to corner the allocation of national and foreign financial assistance to further buttress their political stock, it may seem even pointless and downright insulting to the tax-paying public especially those in Cebu, Samar and the rest of the provinces bracing for “Yolanda’s” impact hours from now.

But such is the cost of justice that it doesn’t pick the time, place, setting and convenience of those earnestly seeking it. Yes, the lawmakers we voted for who are pursuing this case purportedly “in aid of legislation” are doing so without having to see calamity victims wallow in the mud, flood waters and ruins of destroyed buildings, torn rooftops and fallen walls and trees.

But that doesn’t mean that what they are doing shouldn’t be supported and monitored however one can by those who want these corrupt officials jailed for their crimes. Fiat justitia ruat caelum.