EDITORIAL — Give him credit

Senator Rodante Marcoleta was arrested last Monday after the Sandiganbayan denied his motion to hold in abeyance the arrest warrant in connection with the plunder case against him.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the incident was both a surrender as well as an arrest after Senator Marcoleta voluntarily went to the Sandiganbayan to “pursue legal remedies” but was arrested after his motion was denied.

“When I came here, I was expecting all the processes that the court may undertake. Like I said before, I will not hide, I will face the law… One of my desires when I got here was that if the warrant of arrest was served, I would accept it,” Senator Marcoleta said.

We have to give him credit for submitting himself to due process.

We live in a society governed by laws. It’s these same laws that set boundaries and guide human interaction and behavior. Laws prevent society from breaking down. Laws are the only thing that sets us apart from beasts.

So whether we like it or not, when faced with an accusation, submitting ourselves to the rule of law and undergoing due process is still the best way to clear our name. Not running, not hiding, not drawing attention away from such accusations.

We can cite as an example the case of former senator Leila de Lima who didn’t run away from the drug-related accusations against her, all later found to be bogus. It cost her almost six years of her life, but due process eventually cleared her name.

Kudos to Senator Marcoleta for submitting himself to the same process. Aside from Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, earlier arrested last month also for plunder, it would appear that another senator has faith in our legal system.

Now if only another senator, who is currently hiding and wanted for different accusations, would also submit himself to the law to clear his name.

Yes, we are talking about Senator Ronald dela Rosa, whose continued avoidance of due process is a poor reflection of his former profession as not just a policeman, but the highest-ranking policeman of the land.