“John Adams was talking about the rule of law – that principle that says nobody, not even the powerful, should ever be above it”
“WE ARE a nation of laws, not of men.” That’s what John Adams once said. It’s one of those old truths that still matters—maybe even more now than ever.
He was talking about the rule of law—that principle that says nobody, not even the powerful, should ever be above it.
We’ve said the same thing in our own history. In 1919, Justice George Malcolm of the Philippine Supreme Court, in the case Villavicencio vs. Lukban, wrote: “No one is so high that he is above the law; no officer of the law may set it at defiance with impunity.”
Those words still ring loudly today. Because the moment we turn our backs on the rule of law is the moment our democracy starts to crumble. And it won’t be because someone took it from us. It will be because we allowed it to happen.
I remember during the recent campaign, I sat down with a few mayors. They asked me, “Why do you keep on pushing the investigation into the questionable spending of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President? Why question her spending—especially the ones she did when she was also the Education Secretary?”
To be honest, I felt that the question came more from political loyalty than from a concern for transparency or accountability.
So I asked them: “Don’t you also have confidential funds in your LGUs?”
Let’s imagine this: a mayor instructs their special disbursing officer to cash a check, then hands the money over to a security aide. Later, they even admit to it under oath.
Would that mayor still be in office?
We all know the answer. That kind of transaction would raise serious red flags—not just for auditors, but for anyone who understands how public funds should be handled. That’s not just bad practice—it could be a clear violation of procurement rules, a misuse of government money, or even a case of technical malversation.
So why is it that when a top national official does it, we suddenly become silent?
Is accountability only for the small fish? What happens then to the rule of law?
Here’s another example. A congressional candidate wins an election. But later, it’s discovered they’re not a natural-born Filipino. The Constitution is crystal clear: only natural-born citizens can sit in Congress. So their election is nullified.
People will say: “But he got the most votes!”
Yes, he did. But democracy is not just about counting votes. It’s also about following rules. It’s about fairness. It’s about making sure that every candidate, every official, plays by the same standards.
Democracy means government of the people, by the people, and for the people. But it also means a government under the law. That’s what makes a janitor and a mayor equal in the eyes of the court. That’s what reminds even the most powerful official—they are still accountable.
The problem is, populist thinking often mistakes crowd support for legitimacy. Just because something is popular doesn’t make it right. Just because someone is favored by many doesn’t mean they’re exempt from the law.
We must not confuse noise with justice.
Let me end with three simple points.
First, the rule of law is the foundation of our democracy. Without it, we don’t have a republic—we have a power struggle.
Second, no position, no title, no public affection should shield anyone from accountability. If anything, higher office should demand higher standards.
Third, in the coming weeks, the Senate is expected to convene as an impeachment court. Yes, impeachment is a political process. But it is also a constitutional one. The senators, no matter their affiliations, will be sitting not just as politicians—but as judges who swore to uphold the Constitution and serve the Filipino people.
The rule of law is not just a legal principle—it’s a moral one. It keeps public service honest. It makes justice possible. And it protects the very soul of our democracy.
If we ever let it die—not because it failed, but because we failed to stand by it—we’ll lose more than just a case or a controversy. We’ll lose who we are as a nation.
And that’s something we should never allow.
