There will come a time when the people will no longer demand further exposés, but an explanation for why the exposés with documented records have yet to be addressed with resolute action.

With the continued exposure of luxury mansions purportedly owned by the former House Speaker, Martin Romualdez, the matter is no longer only about the multi-million-peso residences being exposed. The question now is whether the rule of law applies as strictly to the mighty as it does to common Filipinos.

Regular Filipinos cannot escape from paying their taxes, declaring their income, or facing immediate government investigation when they fall short. Yet, when credible claims based on property records and repeated patterns of transactions arise, one would wonder if there is really influence that would hinder accountability.

‎It is not the mere existence of costly properties that gives rise to any concern. Being wealthy does not constitute an offense in itself. Instead, it is the process as described in investigative reports that continually arouses justifiable public concern. When reports uncover sprawling luxury properties across the Philippines, Spain, and the United States—connected via the same circle of business contacts, corporations, and property transactions—it ceases to be a private matter. Citizens have every right to demand a proper, unbiased investigation.

Nobody should be tried in the court of public opinion; such a trial is left for the courts. Nor should the results of any serious investigation, especially those involving political personalities, be ignored.

Each uninvestigated issue is another hit on credibility. Each allegation that goes without investigation feeds into the assumption that justice will not only come late, but that it is quick for the poor and takes its time for those in high positions.

‎Each new investigation report is just one more nail in the coffin of public trust. For millions of Filipinos who are grappling with the reality of inflation and inadequate incomes, news of multimillion-peso mansions is not just an issue of greed; it is one of justice. Naturally, everyday citizens want to know if their elected representatives are living by the exact same rules.

This problem is more than just a case against a single political personality; it is an indication of whether transparency is only asked of common Filipinos and not of those who use their influence publicly.

The rule of law will demonstrate its honesty not when it goes after the weak, but when it shows the guts to scrutinize the powerful in the same way. As long as serious accusations remain unresolved through the legal process, one thing that people will continue asking is:

“If there is no accountability where there is politics, then who is the law defending?”

The Frontman