“An tawo nga ginugutom, diri interesado hin mga diskurso!.”
(A person without food cannot listen to rhetorics.)
A country burdened with poverty, inequality, and social challenges must not allow itself to be distracted by the noise of high-profile trials. While justice is essential, governance and service to the people cannot be placed on pause. The International Criminal Court is tasked to handle the legal process; our nation’s leaders and citizens must continue the work of building livelihoods, strengthening social welfare, and ensuring progress.
In Waray, there is a saying: An Tawon ga ginugutom, diri interesado hin mga diskurso! (A person without food cannot listen to justice.) This reminds us that while accountability is important, hunger and poverty demand immediate attention. The courts will deliberate on the case, but the government must feed its people, educate its youth, and protect its workers.
Similarly, in Tagalog we say: “Habang may buhay, may pag-asa.” (As long as there is life, there is hope.) This hope is nurtured not in courtrooms but in farms, factories, schools, and communities. The trial must not paralyze the nation’s resolve to provide opportunities and dignity to its citizens.
The noise of politics and trials can easily drown out the cries of the poor. Yet, the true measure of a nation is not only in how it pursues justice but also in how it sustains its people. “An bista han kaso, para han korte; an panginabuhi, para han katawhan.” (Justice belongs to the court; life belongs to the people.) This balance is crucial: let the judges weigh evidence, while the nation continues to sow seeds of progress.
In the end, the path forward is clear. The trial will run its course, but the country must not falter in its duty to serve. Justice and livelihood are not enemies; they are parallel pursuits. By allowing the court to handle the case and focusing our collective energy on welfare and development, we honor both the rule of law and the dignity of life, in Waray it also declares may mga bout naman ini hira!.
