Stomach versus truth,
the master and the man

Michelangelo Zuce's story is one for the books.

At first wanting to fight "for the truth", he came out as a witness in the Senate hearings on jueteng, going as far as the Presidential family itself with his accusations. Placed under the witness protection program in an investigation that shook the nation, at first he spoke boldly, with the venerable Bishop Cruz beside him. But soon, when the investigation apparently led nowhere, and the world went on with its life and apparently forgot him, or the cause he and Sandra Cam et al had fought for, Michelangelo Zuce soon felt, well, literally hungry, and saw an opportunity to "help" by enlisting in the government's campaign against illegal gambling (jueteng), by championing its legal counterpart (small town lottery).

Under the graces of his previous enemies, he now says he has attended regular Bible study which helped him "refocus". We do not know what topics were taken up in the Bible study, or what values taught, but Zuce, the giant, now regrets his stand at the Senate, saying he was just "used".

Of course, now, he is not hungry anymore. And Bishop Cruz understands him, and lets him be, in peace.

Some people take their fight for the truth to death. Jesus did. But Zuce, well, I hope it is not about people like him that the Bible talks about in Philippians 3:18-19, "For, as I have often told you before, and now say again even with tears, many live as the enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame."

And, it is not hard to understand why Zuce would bow to his god, because he has a big god.*