The Maker of the universe establishes “authority”. It comes in many settings, family, small groups, organizations and society-wide. Government authorities exist because He appointed them to lead and rule over men, but will also remove them when He knows it is best for them to be removed. It is the duty of the government to maintain law and order, if need be, by force. Not to advocate any loyalty, all things considered, it is reasonably good to maintain a fair degree of law and order in our secular affairs. Regardless of whether the authority in place is a good, bad or weak leader, in his official capacity, and maybe without knowing it, he is appointed to maintain justice, law and order despite its faults in order to carry out God’s purpose through him. “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” means we are to submit to the appointed authorities. To disobey what has been established will result in disorder. If it happens that a Caesar, human and fallible, does not know, or deliberately exceeds, his divinely appointed limitations, such as Pyongyang’s reclusive leader Kim Jong-Il of North Korea, war rages.

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Today the Philippines is a major supplier of maritime labor and is said to be the biggest source of sea farers in the global market. This advantage should be given equal importance by our Legislatures as a challenge to maintain global labor-competitiveness. Many stakeholders and mariners have long-dreamed of an improved national system governing the Filipino Seafarers and the Seafaring Industry as a whole. This column strongly supports the UFS and the local maritime industry in lobbying for the passage into law the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers, for a strong and consistent legislative agenda for Filipino Seafarers.

Tidbits:

G.R. No. 175005,  April 30, 2008,  ESTATE OF POSEDIO ORTEGA, vs.  COURT OF APPEALS, ST. VINCENT SHIPPING, INC., AND/OR ENGR. EDWIN M. CRISTOBAL.
Evidence presented by respondents indicates that Ortega's lung cancer could not have been caused by his work at MV Washington Trader. The medical report from St. Vincentius Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium shows that as of May 2003, Ortega admitted that he had only recently quit smoking. His attending physician had already opined that his lung cancer was related to his smoking habits (courtesy of Atty. Fidel Borja)