The Code

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Published: Wednesday, 06 February 2019 02:56
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The Code

By Augusto A. Kho

February 6, 2019 (Wednesday); 1:28 A.M.

For Bible Study of Municipality of Rosales

 


Scripture Readings

Psalm 89:14, “”Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.”

 

Joshua 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. “

 

(picture)

Taken in Mt. Sinai, Egypt, 2017 where the Law or Ten Commandments

written by the finger of God (Exodus 31:18) was given to Moses.

 

Do you use a certain code or numbers or symbols to open your cell phones, your bank or ATM account or steel vault right at your home? Or do you use certain signs in communicating secretly?



Code Defined (Webster)

  • Code is a set of laws or regulations

  • A set of ideas or rules how to behave

  • A set of letters, symbols, numbers, etc. that is used to secretly send messages to someone

 

 

 

Code Defined (Biblical)

Sign in Hebrew word, óth means it is “a sign, signal, distinguishing mark, warning, standard, proof or evidence.” Sign is also called symbol according to Webster

 

For example, God designed “ lights to divide the day from the night,” (Genesis 1:14). So when there is no light, then darkness creeps. So when a person does things in the dark and not in the light, that person is not transparent and he is hiding something else.

 

That is how important a code or a sign is.

 

Code Defined (Etymology)

Etymology is the study of word histories (an explanation of where a word came from (Webster).

 

Code is from the Middle French Latin caudex i.e. canon, constitution, decalogue or law.

 

While Muslims use Koran, the Christians use the Bible While the Christian Evangelical Church uses the Bible, the Filipino public servants generally uses a specific Code. That Code is what you call R.A. 6713 under the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

 

 

What is R.A. 6713?

RA 6713 will define your life purpose as a public official or employee.

 

If this Code cannot be seen as a proof or evidence in your professional life as a public servant then you lose a very credible mark in civil servitude. This will determine your code or standard of conduct.

 

RA 6713 is also known as “Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.”

 

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy – It is the policy of the State to promote a high standard of ethics in public. Public officials and employees shall at all times be accountable to the people and shall discharge their duties with utmost responsibility, integrity, competence, and loyalty, act with patriotism and justice, lead modest lives, and uphold public interest over personal interest.

 

Code is a systematic statement or a body of law or system of principles or rules or moral code according to Merriam- Webster. While conduct according to Webster is a mode or standard of personal behavior especially as based on moral principles. That is why in an organization they have this called Guiding Principles or Code of Ethics.

 

In the same way, RA 6713 is exactly a set of moral standards provided by the law and state for a public officials and employees to have their sense of focus in their purpose for the civil office. Anyone who fails on such a standard may be disqualified should stricter implementation of the law will be applied.

 

The word “shall” denote a command which is mandated by the law. In effect, RA 6713 used the word “policy” which is “a definite course” or ‘’method of action,” (Webster) which is optional but rather mandatory.

 

 

Code of Heaven

The Code of Heaven is written in several forms:

  1. Natural Science. Just imagine an entire universe without the Law of Gravity or without the Law of Cause and Effect.

 

That is when Psalm 89:14 applies. “Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.” Justice in Hebrew ‘tsedek’ means “rightness, righteousness, normal.’ If gravity is not normal in the entire universe, what will happen? Cosmic explosion is the answer. In the same way, if there is abnormality or anomaly in the public office then there is chaos and there is no rule of law.

 

  1. Written Law i.e. Constitution or Code of Conduct or Philosophy Statement (among private corporations).

 

Joshua 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. “

 

Book in Hebrew “siphrah” pronounced ‘say-fer’ means ‘’a document, a writing, a book.’’

The word ‘law’ refers to the ‘’Torah’” which means ”directions, instruction, law, custom or manner, codes of law.” To the Jews and to the Christian they acknowledge the Torah or Pentateuch or the Five Books written by Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Numbers and Leviticus).

 

To the AFP or PNP, their legislative body then signed by the agency chief can issue memos, circulars, Letter of Instruction (LOI), etc.

 

In general, the entire Philippines is embodied in the 1987 Philippine Constitution while publics servants is under this code or law known as Republic Act 6713.

 

 

  1. Unwritten Law which can be elaborated further later.

 

I can call it the Law of Conscience.

 

Romans 2: 12-15,  “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.  14For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) “

 

Man is without an excuse before God.

 

Those without the Written Law or RA 6713, God provided men the Law of Nature as a Universal Rule. God gave Light and allow Darkness. If a public servant does his financial transaction under a shady, obscured (dark) ways, what does it imply? Lack of transparency of course, and possibly graft and corruption. Should a man get away from the Written Law (Code) or Natural Law, there is still the Law of Conscience to convicts his wrong actions or sins.

 

God provided “way-and-means” ” to check whether we are doing fine or wrong. If you study the Ten Commandments of Moses, we still apply that today in our Family Law, Civil Law and in our Constitution. In fact, one time I saw Hon. Congressman Conrado Estrella III waving the Bible on the air and placed the Holy Scriptures on his left hand and made an Oath before God and to over 1,000 people participating inside Robert Estrella Memorial Gym many years back.

 

What we say must be validated to what we do.

 

Character -values

Take note that the given Code of Conduct is not on the basis of your academic gains or mental abilities but rather focused on attitudes, behaviors, values-orientations, ethics and moral principles which are as follows:

  1. Accountability

  2. Responsibility

  3. Integrity

  4. Competence (right or fair)

It sounds that competence measures mental ability it taking it from but Anglo-French-Latin means competens meaning “right” or ’’fair.”’

  1. Loyalty

  2. Patriotism

  3. Just (righteousness)

  4. Modesty or simple life (frugality)

  5. Loyalty

  6. Public Servitude i.e. “public interest over personal interest.”

 

 

As the Philippine Constitution of 1987 puts it this way:

 

“’Public Office is a public trust,’’ - Article XI, Section 1

 

And that is exactly your sense of focus. And this is the only standard that will re-define you as a public servant.