Laws are Laws

One of the most hilarious moments of all the seasons of Amazing Race is when Season 5's Colin and Christie had a conversation with one Filipino taxi driver. Their dialogue went like this:

Christie: We need to hurry! We're far behind. We need to win. Go as fast as you can!

Taxi driver: It is prohibited to go beyond 100 kph in this highway.

Colin and Christie: oh.

Taxi driver: So I have no choice but to break the law.

Colin and Christie: Yes!

* * *

It shows how hospitable we are; how even our taxi drivers can speak decent English; how humorous we could be; and how willing we are to help other people, especially foreigners, especially reality show contestants visiting our country. Nothing wrong with these, I guess. But our propensity to break our own law is another story; and to do it with what seems like jubilation in front of foreigners and international TV is downright shameful.

For the benefit of the doubt, maybe the driver was just excited. But in no case is this incidence extraordinary. Filipinos break our own laws because of manifold reasons. It could be because (a) we are certain we will not be caught; (b) we don't fear our own punishments; or (c) because it's a norm. Maybe, it's all these and more.

But don't expect other people in other countries to do the same things we do. To them, laws are laws.

In the face of a predicament of another Filipino sentenced to 'death penalty without reprieve' in China, for drug trafficking,  don't expect leniency. Drugs are drugs. It ruins lives and put other innocent lives in danger.

This is not the first case where a kababayan is sentenced to death because of drug trafficking. We should have learned the first time or the second or the third...

Whatever reason they have for doing what they did is beside the point. It's illegal and I'm quite certain they know that. Not that I don't sympathize, but what is wrong is wrong. Our leniency towards law implementation does not extend to other territories. We must respect their laws even if we don't respect ours.