Forgiveness and the compassion in action. This is how the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president sees Presidents’ granting of executive clemency to elderly, long-interned and sick prisoners. They said that they don’t only wish to give these inmates the gift of freedom, but also to give them and their loved ones the opportunity to spend this period of time together as a family.
President Noy Noy Aquino has finally grant pardon to inmates who are either without visiros, indigent, sick, old, or abandoned by family and relatives that aged 71 to 85 years old at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) . It was recently appealed by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
Yes. We should recognize that crimes must be punished; they must be in prison because they commit such crime. But the CBCP and Malacañang have also a point that we should also acknowledge that the true meaning of justice is that when inmates have recognized their mistakes. In a long time, surely they suffered for the mistakes they have committed.
The President is just right to grant pardon to inmates who are qualified to be given clemency. Surely and definitely, these qualified inmates have shown their deep remorse for their wrong doings. They also show sincerity and became a better citizen in our country. This action of the president will also have a better effect in the nation, because the other inmates who commit crimes will see this as an inspiration to also become a better person. They will be motivated that even though they commit mistake once in their life, it’s not the end of their life, there is another beginning for them, another life to live.
Since love, family, and forgiveness are the three most important things for us, Filipinos, we should not close our door to forgive those who committed sins as long as they deserve to be forgiven. While God can forgive, we should also forgive because we are just a human being. After all, everyone deserves to be given a second chance to be a better person.
