Selective justice is still injustice

There is an old saying that justice is blind.

But many Filipinos today are beginning to ask a more uncomfortable question: Is justice blind—or is it simply looking in one direction?

That question came to mind after the Iglesia Ni Cristo broke its silence on the non-bailable plunder charges filed against Senator Dante Marcoleta.

Through its official statement, read by INC spokesperson Brother Edwil Zabala, he stressed that the Iglesia Ni Cristo is not against the enforcement of the law. On the contrary, it supports the rule of law. What it opposes is the bending of the law when it appears to protect corruption instead of exposing it.

One sentence from that statement stood out to me:

"Selective justice is  injustice."

Simple….Direct…Powerful.

Whether you voted for Senator Marcoleta or not should not matter. Whether you agree with his politics is beside the point. The real issue is much bigger than one man.

It is about whether our justice system inspires confidence—or doubt.

For months, Senator Marcoleta was at the forefront of demanding investigations into a massive alleged misuse of public funds on the flood control projects.  

Difficult questions were asked. Hearings drew public attention. Filipinos hoped that those responsible, whoever they might be, would eventually be held accountable.

Then something changed.

Instead of the investigation on corruption remaining the focus, the spotlight shifted to one of the people leading the inquiry.

Many Filipinos have seen this movie before.

A corruption investigation begins with urgency.  Documents are presented.  Witnesses testify. Public officials are summoned. Hope begins to grow, that this time, perhaps the truth will finally prevail.  But just when the investigation appears to be getting close to those allegedly responsible, the momentum changes. The hearings lose steam.   New controversies dominate the headlines.  The script flipped.

Before long, the investigator becomes the story instead of the investigation itself.

Perceptions matter in a democracy.

When people begin asking why the spotlight has moved away from the allegations and toward the person asking the questions, confidence in our institutions inevitably suffers.

Many have questioned how campaign donations from private supporters -- donations that the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) had previously ruled were not election offenses -- could later become the basis of a non-bailable plunder charge. 

Under Philippine law, plunder is among the gravest criminal offenses, carrying the possibility of life imprisonment. It involves the unlawful accumulation of ill-gotten wealth through a series of specified criminal acts. That is why the filing of a plunder case carries enormous legal and political consequences—and why questions surrounding its application inevitably draw public attention.

Those legal questions belong before the courts, and they deserve to be resolved based solely on evidence and the law.

That is exactly how justice should work.

No one should be above the law.

But neither should anyone be singled out by the law.

Those two principles are not opposites. They are partners.

We cannot demand accountability for some, while appearing less determined to pursue others.

We cannot celebrate the rule of law only when it favors our preferred outcome. Justice loses credibility the moment Filipinos believe it is being applied differently depending on who is involved.

That is why this conversation extends far beyond Senator Marcoleta.

Today it may be a senator. Tomorrow it could be a journalist exposing wrongdoing. It could be a whistleblower. It could be an ordinary citizen asking difficult questions.

The standard we accept today becomes the standard we all live under tomorrow.

Every Filipino benefits from transparent government. Every taxpayer deserves accountability. Every citizen deserves equal justice.

Justice should never be used to silence legitimate questions. It should answer them.

Our courts must remain independent. Investigations must continue wherever credible evidence lead. Allegations must be tested fairly. And those accused deserve due process, just as the Filipino people deserve the truth.

Because when justice appears selective, trust becomes the first casualty.

And once a nation begins to lose trust in its justice system, rebuilding that trust is far more difficult than winning any political battle.

Justice is not truly served when only some are held to account.

Justice is served only when the same law, the same standards, and the same courage are applied equally to everyone.

Anything less is not merely selective justice …. it is injustice.

(Refiled: Written last July 1, 2026 - 1:00 pm)