Articles USTAAI Letter to Jun Lozada | USTAAI Letter to Jun Lozada |
|
February 11,
2008 Engr. Rodolfo Noel I. Lozada Jr. (ECE ‘84) UST Faculty of Engineering Centennial Awardee Former President Philippine Forest Corp. Dear Mr. Lozada: We, your fellow Thomasians, join other truth-seeking Filipinos behind your courageous effort to expose corruption and malfeasance in government. We are glad that you are among many UST alumni in public service struggling to keep a life of Christian virtue amid the temptation of wealth and influence. Yet again, a Thomasian has stood up for the truth, even if the most convenient recourse is to keep away from trouble by remaining silent. The University, enlightened by the ideals of the order founded by St. Dominic de Guzman and the wisdom of its patron, St. Thomas Aquinas, has taught us not to allow evil to flourish by fighting for the good.
In your fight against the deep-seated culture of bribery, entitlements,
and thievery, remember that the truth is your best defense against attacks on your personality and credibility. The
Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas, tells us that a person who possesses the truth will be invulnerable, no matter how well-placed the adversary. Our school patron, whose pursuit of the Christian truths have guided our academic training in UST, also tells us that there is no greater freedom than telling the plain truth: “Indeed, when someone expresses in word what he suffers in his heart, his soul is in a certain sense pacified, whereas in remaining silent, his pain becomes more acute interiorly and he is destroyed by his silence in a certain sense.” (The Commentary of St. Thomas Aquinas on the Book of Job.) We also commend you for seeking refuge and comfort in the Church when not even authorities can be trusted to safeguard the well-being of citizens. When the government fails in its role as protector and a public trust, the Church is our vanguard and our true sanctuary.
The
University and its alumni are here to help in any means possible. |
