INTELLECTUAL ARROGANCE IN THE COURTHOUSE

As we view the impeachment case of the Chief Justice, unraveled also is tne intellectual arrogance of personalities who brought up their credibility from the academe and stints in the judiciary.

What is intellectual arrogance? It is exercising one's intellectual with too much pride, putting down people in their midst to make them kowtow to their ideas obediently, possibly blindly.

Is it totally wrong to be intellectually arrogant? There is nothing wrong with being an intellectual, although there are people who put up themselves as intellectuals -- actually pseudo intellectuals, parading their thoughts as if they were biblical truths when actually, they are just coating their words with the English language to show they know how to speak it. But examine the meaning of their thoughts and you will see just a pragmatic mind and nothing more.

Okay, we started with intellectual arrogance. What is wrong with that then? Majority of our people speak Pilipino and can hardly understand the English language. This is why the Senate is being conducted in Pilipino. And yet, the arrogance of some sectors has brought down the self-esteem of the people -- why because of course, they are pro-prosecutors. They are for conviction of those, not just the CJ but all others--  who amassed, have amassed and continue to amass wealth while in office.

Now to hear someone talk down to a member of the prosecution panel is like piercing the heart, stabbing the innards of that very core of patriotic feeling we have for the changes we want in this country.

It is showing us that what matters most are not the core of what we feel but how we say things. Form over substance.

That is not how the Filipino people feel and think. That's not how we want the directions of changes should happen in this country.


We are all in this exercise together. And should the CJ be found to be at fault, then by all means, let him be a good gentleman who will accept his fault and peacefully give way to the transitions needed in this country. But let us not use this exercise for flaunting our intelligence, our strong memory of every piece of legislation that can catch a criminal or any offender, but rather let it be a process where we are standing together to see how we can strengthen democratic practices in our country work, how the people's voices and thoughts shall be heard and followed.

So be it