I bristle at the idea of giving “full faith” on something as if to give it the mantle of religious conviction. Faith, in my understanding, is to believe without reason. What of full faith? Judgments and decisions, even if made by the Supreme Court as you exemplified, are not infallible.

If the institution makes a judgment or decision, I’d follow it. That however does not mean I cannot question it or that I should like it. Imagine if lawyers gave “full faith” to the decisions of the Supreme Court made during Martial Law. We’d still have Javellana vs Executive Secretary as a rule.

To follow the rule of law does not mean to follow it blindly. The law may be the law, but it does not mean it is always right.

when i give “full faith and credit”, it is to the institution, not to the individuals operating it. i distinguish between the office and the incumbent. if the incumbent was bad, i would advocate its replacement but not necessarily the abolition of the office (unless it is of proven uselessness as the senate). i wouldn’t normally advocate throwing away the baby with the bathwater, so i would not agitate for the sacking of comelec just because some people think its officials are not doing their job properly. but i am all for prosecuting and punishing whoever is guilty.

i think this is all part of obedience to the rule of law.

Institutions stand for processes. They do not make actions and judgments, it is the people who comprise them that do. This little debate of ours, I think, sprung out of that small misunderstanding.

One cannot but give faith to the process, the laws require no less.

Well, I haven’t asked for their heads, at least, not yet. I just don’t want to give them full faith and credit.

jaxius, got you. however, we have to be certain about the “betrayal”. and the determination must be within the rule of law, not through vigilantism or gossip mongering.

Full faith and credit can only be given to those who have not betrayed the public trust. As the old adage says, “fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me”.

Nagoyo na minsan, tama na yun.