As Filipinos went about their day last March 2^nd with their face masks and hand sanitizers, a man walked into an office that he once called his place of work, shot a former colleague, and held 30 people hostage as well as the entire nation for 10 hours. “(A)rmed with grenades and a gun,” he had set out ready to die because of his grievance against his former employers whom he claimed to be corrupt. It is an understatement to say that Alchie Paray was a man who has abandoned all hope.

As to be expected, social media started spawning their armchair expertise even while things were still unfolding. Majority sympathized with his reason but not his violent solution which is a bit surprising given that 88% support the brutal drug war by our government. There are now calls to review labor laws as it will surprise no one that Alchie is not alone in his frustration who even unsuccessfully called for his fellow security guards to show solidarity in exposing the alleged “palakasan” (patronage) system in his former company. One simply shook hands with him as he released the hostages. In the midst of keyboard clicking, lost in the shuffle was what led Alchie to this sad recourse.

According to a Rappler report, Alchie earned the ire of one tenant whom he did not allow entry for failure to produce an ID as per policy of the mall. This angered the tenant who allegedly threatened to have him reassigned and bribed his bosses to make good on his threat.

Before he was tackled down and finally arrested, Alchie spoke to media, the police, and the usiseros (onlookers),“Kahit saan, kahit saan sana na may nagtatrabaho, [dapat] importante tayo. Kaya tayo nandiyan, ‘wag naman tayo na dahil tayo mga boss diyan hahamakin natin ang mabababa sa atin. Kasi dito, ganyan.”

If we were to take him at his word, Alchie was simply doing his job securing the premises and lost his job for it. His later ill-conceived action therefore was a call for fairness and justice.

We do not know the whole story and perhaps may never know but one thing we know for sure, the Bible commands us not to “take advantage of the poor JUST BECAUSE (WE) CAN.” (Pro. 22:22, GNT)

Just because we can intimidate people especially the poor doesn’t mean we should.

Just because we can threaten others especially those just doing their job doesn’t mean we should.

Just because we can accept bribes doesn’t mean we should.

(Just because we can kill the poor for suspicion of drug involvement doesn’t mean we should.)

Because when we do, we are fighting against the Lord who is “a refuge for the persecuted, a refuge in times of trouble.” (Psalm 9:9, CSB) Of course, not just because we can take people hostage doesn’t mean we should either.

Let us pray that wherever events might bring poor Alchie, it will lead him to the Lord who is “near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Ps. 34:17-20, ESV) and may his heartbreak lead to a positive change not only in his life but in the nation as well.