Abelardo Cordente

Posc55 – Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

Paul Vertine Beler

Schindler’s Jews

In the movie Schindler’s List, role-played by Liam Neeson, manifests violations of jus
cogens rights from which is declared by the United Nation as a set of rules that is peremptory in
nature. The movie represents the historical scenario of the World War II demonstrates and
illustrates the violations of these rights such as to the right to identity, right to life, right to
citizenship, right to nationality, and other inherent rights or natural rights that is indispensable
to each and every individual. The mass massacre in the movie with prejudice is just one of the
examples of violations of jus cogens rights.

The current status of the Philippine political structure for what I have perceive, is all
about hindering the administration in aspect which disables them to help prosper the nation. In
the movie, there is one scene from which the actor was hindered by his fear or intimidation to
help the Jews; it is his fear losing his wealth and intimidation from losing his political
expediency. Nevertheless, Schindler was a brilliant strategist enabling him to undergone the
loopholes of Military government and thus, was able to contribute from sparing thousands of
Jewish lives. In my case, I would like to co-relate this in the Philippines that the activists are the
fear or intimidation of the administration. First it is the fear of suffering dictatorship from the
previous 1973 Constitution, second is the intimidation that the ruler or leader is from the land
of Mindanao where he ruled by wrath. These are also the misconception of most (if I’m not
mistaken) or some that the government is futile and a useless machinery, and that whoever sat
that throne nothing will change.

I believe that the President’s words are in need of clarification. But soon as I studied
Human Rights Law, I seemingly understand now what it does mean. Human Rights as a broad
concept might be aggravate misconception. These conceptions of the Human Rights might be
otherwise used as a tool of evil and not of humanity. In any reason, circumstance, and time,
employing the principle, “the law may be harsh but still, it is the law”, as an operative term that
as well denotes the impairment of the other rights and “used your own property as to not
injure others property”, that is also in order for us to implement it to our mind set that injuring
or impairing others rights is always wrong.

The action of Oskar Schindler in the movie is very inspiring. Even though he used illegal
means to employ moral outcome. This is also written in the book of Machiavelli entitled “The
Prince”, where the prince is using fear and wrath in order to protect his constituents. I am so
touched that the works of Schindler produced humanitarian outcome and had gone through
the grace of Omnipotent One. It is amazing to witness that he received the title “righteous
man”. The seek of being righteous has always been optional for us because we possess evil in
nature. The small things of being right is not always appreciated that much but in my own
humble opinion, doing something right is as well always challenging. Doing something wrong is
not anymore challenging because it became easier and doing something right became more
difficult. However, if all of us are competitive enough, we might take the path of challenging
ourselves into doing what is right. Because at the end of the day, what might be wrong for
others might be right or vice-versa.