W

hen I saw people, including police officers, kneeling down, some of them tearful, praising the Lord for sending Judge Sarpin Rizaldi to uphold justice for National Police chief candidate Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan, on Monday, I remembered an old saying about God'€™s equal treatment of all. Budi was cleared of graft and power abuses that were alleged by the country'€™s most trusted institution, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

'€œHe causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous,'€ the old saying goes.

Budi'€™s supporters and those who have similar problems like him (you know what I mean), however, apparently did not realize they should give the highest credit to President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo, not the judge. Sarpin just tried his luck in the '€œmurky waters'€.

I dare say the corrupt political elite and power abusers should firstly express their gratitude to the President. They should kneel down in front of Jokowi and praise him with such words as, '€œBapak President thank you for your unbelievable wisdom!'€

Jokowi, however, needs to know that it is not impossible that he is digging his own grave, because he is facing wolves, which cannot satisfy their hunger and thirst.

Insisting that all people are equal before the law '€” not all Indonesians agree with his naive view '€” the President let legal mechanisms (often perceived as brutally corrupt) fully operate. Just ask yourself whether Sarpin'€™s decision is purely based on the intention to uphold the truth or something else.

The President also guaranteed full freedom to police and anyone who has the power to act like self-appointed law enforcers, to do whatever they like against the KPK. Its leaders were bullied and investigators and employees faced threats of terror. Jokowi just kept silent, perhaps because he thought it was a part of the legal process to uphold the truth.

 After the court'€™s decision, Budi told TV reporters how grateful he was to God because justice was eventually delivered to him. The KPK declared him a graft suspect shortly after the President proposed him as the National Police chief candidate to the House of Representatives last month.

Many people condemned Judge Sarpin'€™s decision. Legally speaking, however, Budi is now a completely innocent man. Budi is not alone in thanking God. Sarpin'€™s decision is a great miracle for many corruptors who the KPK has been targeting.

All factions in the House, either pro- or anti-Jokowi, regarded Sarpin as their savior too. Their mission to demolish the KPK has been accomplished.

Jokowi'€™s incredible contribution is letting Budi and his supporters use the court as a stage to show off. Strangely Jokowi did not do anything, although he holds the power to stop the criminalization of two KPK commissioners. From an ordinary citizen'€™s point of view, the police have '€œengineered'€ criminal charges against Bambang Widjojanto and Abraham Samad. Two other commissioners will follow suit soon.

With the damage already done, the President eventually made up his mind on Monday. He nominated Comr. Gen. Badrodin Haiti as the new police chief candidate and dropped Budi despite his court clearance. What is the point of Jokowi waiting for the court if he eventually picked a different candidate? It is also not impossible that Jokowi may have promised a no-less lucrative post as a '€œconsolation'€ prize for Budi.

Jokowi has presented the biggest and most memorable gifts to the '€œgods'€ and '€œgoddesses'€ of Indonesia, including former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is the '€œowner'€ of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). The President issued a government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) to appoint of three acting KPK commissioners. With the Perppu, Indonesia now becomes a safe haven for corruptors or gangsters who pretend to act on behalf of the people.

The rain and the sun are also for the evil, not just for the good, right?

Praise the Lord, white-collar bandits say in their prayers. Now robbers of the state coffers only have to deal with the police and the Attorney General'€™s Office. No problems at all! Many see it as just a matter of '€œhow much'€ when they are arrested by these two law enforcement institutions.

With the Perppu, the President has completely ruined the KPK, including the morale of its staff who have worked very hard and intelligently to ensnare corruptors. Politicians probably are not happy with Jokowi'€™s decision to cancel Budi'€™s nomination as the police chief. But the Perppu is the best present the President has given them. They should congratulate the President for his decision to demolish the KPK.

I voted for Jokowi in the July presidential election last year. Together with 70 million other Indonesians, I believed he was the right person for the right place. To a certain degree, I still hope that he will deliver on his promises.

However, what is also clear for me now is that it is just a matter of time before Indonesia has a lame duck president. We will have a head of state and a government whose main duty is to serve the bosses of his party and his coalition partners.

My beloved President, you'€™re just digging your own grave!