Radio Veritas
Interview with Fr. Ronhillo Aquino

May 2, 2008

(Ariel)Q: “Assuming na makakuha sila ng disi-otso’ng bilang ng mga senador pwede ba’ng sabihin na ang babaguhin lang sa bahagi ng saligang batas ay yung from unitary to federal form of government at wala nang ibang bahagi nito na pwedeng baguhin?”

Fr. R. Aquino: “Noon pa I was asked to comment on that, the first time that these things came out, the moment you open the door for any constitutional amendment any part of the constitution becomes subject to change you can’t say we will limit ourselves to changing this only of course if they make a political decision na yan lang ang sistema ng pamahalaan from the present presidential form to a parliamentary form or from unitary to federal form yan lang ang babaguhin natin, they can make that decision but the question I want to ask ay pag binuksan mo ang saligang-batas sa pagbabago papaano mo mai-aasure siguro na walang ibang parte na gagalawin nila diyan?   ”

(Ariel)Q: So father ang ibig sabihin it’s like a car running without a break?

Fr. R. Aquino: yah, it’s like a slippery slope you stand on a slippery slope you keep sliding down same thing with the constitutional amendments ‘pag binuksan mo ang isang parte diyan, the whole thing will become subject to change. And you know if you introduce such a radical thing as change into system of government or change from unitary to federal but until it’s changes in all other in virtually all other aspects of the constitution.

(Ariel)Q: So that’s the wisdom ng mga bishops ng sila’y sumulat ng pastoral statement na sinasabing “what we need is not a charter change but character change”.

Fr. R. Aquino: yah, that it’s always been in fundamental . Kahit na baguhin mo ilang beses yang saligang-batas na yan, it will always be corrupted by corrupt people. On the other hand no matter how poor the constitution may seem to be and we do not have a poor constitution, we’ll very well written constitution, it will be given strength by people of character and people of moral conviction.

(Fr. Francis)Q: mabago lang ako nang kaunti, kasi napakahalaga din sa ethics, sa ethical behavior ang Education ano po?kasi itong nangyari sa ating bansa hindi natin sinasabi na bumababa at bumababa ang quality of education. First, how do you react to that, and second what are you doing to assess this.

Fr. R. Aquino: yah, the decline the cumulative decline on the quality of education can be attributed for me largely to the fact that the official curriculum of the school is face by the competing curricula. What do I mean by that? Yung batang nag-eeskwela hindi lang yung mga subject sa eskwela ang mapagtutuunan ng pansin, pag umuwi yan may telebisyon, may barkada, may mga katarantaduhan nangyayari sa pamilya. These are all what we called the competing curricula. And if they don’t support what is happening in school, no matter what you do in school, it is if you will have much over effect. Here’s the concrete example father, kahit sabihin mo sa mga bata, kung ano ang dapat gawing assignments kung wala naman pakialam ang mga magulang sa assignments ng bata, hindi magagawa ang assignments. Secondly father, I’ve often insisted that those admitted to the teaching profession should be admitted not only to the basis of their credentials but also the basis of their personality orientation. Are they service oriented or not? Kung business oriented ang isang tao, don’t admit him to the teaching profession. Because he will be treat  like business. And third let us return Religion to education, even in public school; you cannot have decency without religion, basic yan father.

Q: Kung anuman yung religion ng isang area?

Fr. R. Aquino: yes, open even state institution to religion instruction of whatever she or kind.

Q: yung standards natin po, kamusta? Like sa M.A. examination, standard, sa PRC, etc.

Fr. R. Aquino: we have to be more exacting. At the moment father, admittedly the most difficult exam is the Bar exam. And the reason why the Bar exam is difficult is because they’re refuse to move to that machine check mass produce type of exam. It remains an essay type questions and therefore critical questioning is called for. yun ang importante, for example in one of the schools that I had administered. I always tell the professor, hindi sapat na magbibigay tayo ng exam, at pag mataas ang nakuha ng mga bata, kuntento na tayo. Ikumpara natin ang klase ng exam na ibinibigay natin sa mga exam sa Manila , sa exam sa abroad. Kasi pwedeng mataas ang kinukuha nila , tayo naman ay napakadali ng exam na binibigay natin. But if we compare them with the exam over the other jurisdiction then we will really see kung talaga bang magaling tayo o hindi.

Q: san kayo nagseminaryo?

Fr. R. Aquino: father my philosophy was Sto. Tomas I started in Mary followed by the Missionary pero na-kick-out ako because I was been incapable in being a missionary.

Q: sa Baguio yun?

Fr. R. Aquino: oo father, then I transferred to Sto. Tomas, then I did my theology with SBDV Fathers to Vigan at the training center then after that, I went abroad for studies in Philosophy in England and then I did my Law in United States .

Q: hindi ba nakaka-conflict ang iyong pagiging abogado sa iyong buhay bilang pari?

Fr. R. Aquino: father I did a doctorate in Law, but because I started abroad, I am not a member of the Philippine Bar so I don’t practice law, I teach Law a lot, pero wala naman father in fact through my studies in Law I’ve been able to help many people, I am assisting my Archbishop now with the legal affairs of the Arch Diocese, it gives you one more tool to be able to do social apostolate, if you use it for the purpose ganun talaga naman in the hands of a mistrial or rascal the Law can be use for the evil purposes as well lahat naman ng bagay ay ganyan.And then father when you teach you affect a lot of people in their lives; and then the very unique opportunity.