GIVEN the obvious fact that we are easily trapped in our worldly condition, practically unmindful of the ultimate spiritual and supernatural dimensions of our life, we should feel the need for a daily reset so as to be properly anchored and directed to the ultimate goal of our life.
Yes, we are meant for keep a spiritual and supernatural bearing in our life here on earth. This is not only for some people. It is for everyone. We just have to help one another to develop this spiritual and supernatural bearing, since this is what is proper to us.
As persons with intelligence and will, we cannot help but have a spiritual character in our life. With these natural endowments, we are meant to enter into the spiritual world of ideas and rationality, of cognition and love that goes beyond the material and sensible aspects of our life.
And as children of God, created in God’s image and likeness, we are meant to enter into an intimate relation with him, which cannot be other than supernatural, since God is beyond our nature.
This is always possible since God gives us his grace, and we, on our part, with our spiritual endowment of intelligence and will, are enabled to be elevated to the supernatural order of God when we, with the proper disposition of humility, faith and charity, correspond to God’s grace. That’s when we enter into the supernatural world of God.
This basic truth of our life should always be on our mind, and should animate all our thoughts, words and deeds. We need to pause from time to time to allow this truth to take hold of our mind and heart, and of our life, in general, using the appropriate means.
We really have to learn how to deal with our spiritual and supernatural world because that is where the real action is and where our ultimate goal is. That’s where we are truly defined, where our radical dignity is established. That’s where we can have our encounter with God.
For us, the material and natural world is nothing if not related to the spiritual and the supernatural world. Our material and natural world can only have meaning and purpose if related to the spiritual and the supernatural, that is, if related ultimately to God.
In this regard, we should have some working plan and strategy, consisting of some practices of piety, like prayer, presence of God, recourse to the sacraments, etc., so that we can keep that spiritual and supernatural bearing even as we immerse ourselves in the things of this world, as we should.
To be sure, there is some kind of awkwardness involved at the beginning of this effort. In this, we should not be surprised, since what is involved requires us to go beyond, but not against, our natural self. We have to train our natural powers to align themselves or to correspond properly to the spiritual and supernatural means that are needed.
Again, a lot of humility is needed here so that the powers of the divine gifts of faith, hope and charity can operate and lead us to where God himself wants us to go. Let’s remember that as creatures of God, let alone, adopted children of his, meant to share his life and nature, we are supposed to follow the guidance of God through his providence.
This daily reset can be done right at the beginning of the day, as we wake up, when we remind ourselves of who we really are, what our ultimate goal in life is, what means we can use, and always reminding ourselves that God is constantly guiding us.
Ensuring fair investigation
The flood-control scandal has once again put the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee in the national spotlight. At a time when Filipinos are demanding answers about how billions of pesos meant to protect communities from floods were spent, questions have also emerged about who should lead the investigation. For me, if a senator’s name has surfaced in the controversy—even if the allegations remain unproven—that senator should voluntarily step aside from heading the hearings.
I have always believed that public investigations are not merely about finding facts; they are also about convincing the public that the search for truth is fair. A Senate hearing is not a courtroom, yet it carries enormous influence over public opinion. The chairman directs the proceedings, decides who gets recognized, and shapes the tone of the inquiry. Because of that power, even the appearance of a possible conflict of interest can cast a long shadow over the entire process. A referee does not have to be guilty of cheating for spectators to question a game; sometimes, the mere perception of partiality is enough to make people doubt the outcome.
What troubles me most is that the flood control issue is not just another political controversy. It involves projects funded by taxpayers who expect roads to remain passable, bridges to stand firm, and communities to stay dry when heavy rains arrive. In a country repeatedly battered by typhoons and floods, flood-control funds are not just abstract numbers in government documents. They represent homes spared from destruction, crops saved from ruin, and lives protected from danger. When questions arise about such funds, the investigation must be beyond reproach from the very beginning.
I do not say this because I presume anyone’s guilt. Allegations are not convictions, and fairness requires that every accused person be presumed innocent until proven otherwise. In fact, that principle is exactly why voluntary inhibition makes sense. Stepping aside from leading an investigation is not an admission of wrongdoing. It is often the clearest way of saying, “Let the facts speak for themselves without my presence becoming a distraction.”
There is also a practical reason. The moment a chairman becomes part of the story, attention shifts away from the evidence and toward the chairman himself. Questions that should focus on contracts, budgets, project implementation, and accountability become mixed with questions about the investigator. The hearing then risks turning into a mirror facing another mirror—an endless reflection of accusations and counteraccusations. Meanwhile, the public is left waiting for the answers it sought in the first place.
I find it ironic that many of the strongest investigations in history gained credibility not because investigators possessed extraordinary powers, but because they maintained a visible distance from the subjects they examined. The public is often willing to accept painful conclusions when it trusts the process that produced them. But even the most carefully documented findings can struggle for acceptance when doubts linger about the independence of those conducting the inquiry. Truth may stand on its own feet, but credibility gives it a stronger voice.
Filipinos have become highly sensitive to issues involving public funds, and understandably so. They have watched too many scandals erupt, too many promises made, and too many inquiries fade into political theater. That is why I believe leaders should hold themselves to a higher standard than what the law strictly requires. The law may not compel a senator to inhibit himself under these circumstances, but public service is not measured solely by legal compliance. Sometimes integrity is demonstrated by what one willingly chooses not to do.
What matters most is not who occupies the chairman’s seat but whether the nation receives a thorough, credible, and impartial accounting of what happened to the flood control funds. I would rather see the investigation led by someone whose independence is beyond question, so that every finding stands on solid ground. When public confidence is already fragile, the wisest course is often the simplest one: remove every unnecessary doubt and let the truth take center stage.