GENUINE CONVERSATION

By Maria Lourdes Sereno

Many pastors have not expounded on the many dominant biblical passages about justice, including Jesus’ own declaration that Justice, Mercy and Faithfulness are the weightier matters of the law (Matthew 23:23). As members of the flock who love our pastors, let’s care for the condition of our hearts and mind as the Berean Christians, who were commended as “noble” by Paul for always checking the consistency of everything Paul was saying with the Old Testament (Acts 17:10-12).

The Word of God would have built up our nation in justice and righteousness as God wants in Psalm 89:14. Instead, we misused 2 verses of Paul Romans 13 to destroy our role as accountability-keepers in our country.

Yun naman pala, some of our pastors might have actually just wanted to convey a different message. Nakakalungkot.

Let’s start a genuine conversation within our churches now. God would be very pleased with that.

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Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno is living proof that true courage is forged through adversity.

Sereno rose from humble beginnings to become the country’s first female Chief Justice in 2012. She attended public elementary and secondary school, then pursued higher education through scholarships. She graduated valedictorian from the UP College of Law in 1984, and holds a Masters of Law degree, specializing in law and economics and international trade law, from the University of Michigan.

She was a law professor at the UP for nearly 20 years. The World Trade Organization recognized her stellar credentials with her 1998 appointment as Counsellor of their Appellate Body in Geneva, Switzerland. She was also involved in successful international litigation as co-counsel for the Republic and was AIM’s Executive Director for their Policy Center.

With her modernizing outlook and firm belief in the power of technology, she co-founded a corporation that developed the first annotated electronic research system in Philippine Law. Her tenure as Chief Justice is marked by far-reaching reforms, including eCourts, automated hearings, case decongestion, continuous trials, and expanded small claims courts. At the heart of her reform program is the strong conviction that justice and the law’s protection should be accessible and responsive to the most vulnerable Filipinos. Because she was a staunch defender of judicial independence, Sereno was subjected to intense persecution.

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno is now a major voice for people-centered change in Philippine society. She believes this change is part of God’s desire for this country, that every Filipino is precious in God’s sight, bawat isa mahalaga, and that each citizen and every community has a role in building up this nation. She is an advocate for faithfulness to the vision of a “just and humane society” in the Philippine Constitution, and integrity and accountability in governance.

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