I am writing this column while shedding tears over the death of my dearest 74-year-old nephew, retired Commission on Audit State Auditor III Jose Besana Albaladejo, who died of organ failure due to diabetes.

Auditor Albaladejo was a commerce and law graduate of the Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion, Roxas City. He built a beautiful house designed by architect Nathaniel Alcedo, sixth place in architecture board exams. He was the brother of Dr. Napoleon Alcedo, whose son, Leon, graduated summa cum laude at Fordham University, New York. I took good care of Jose, who was named after my late father, from infancy to manhood.

He has been a consultant on local government aud iting matters of Atty. Fredinel Castro, Governor of Capiz. His wife, Edith, died five years ago. He is survived by his sister, Marisol Besana Alcorano, and his three sons, all married with their own means of livelihood, Arthur, Froilan and Christian.

In the name of this column, “THE AUDITOR,” may I request all the more than eight thousand fellow auditors throughout the country to pray, for a few seconds, for the soul of my fallen nephew, State Auditor III Joe Albaladejo, of Roxas City, Capiz.

While I was about to finish crafting my article on the wonderful developments in the CoA, on a very joyful note, my daughter in Tokyo, Japan, called me up with this message: “Dad, please write an article about what’s happening in the war between Israel and Hamas. Which side now is America? Is America losing its credibility?”

A few seconds later, my niece Marisol called from Roxas City, “Uncle, Dodoy Jose died of organ failure.”

This is, indeed, an irony in this month of advent.

My daughter in Tokyo was horrified by the developments in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

The World Health Organization of the United Nations decries Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital — once the cornerstone of the territory’s health care system — as a “bloodbath” with hundreds of injured patients receiving primary treatment following Israeli air strikes in Gaza City.

My daughter finds it hard to understand why the United States is holding up UN votes on the Gaza truce. At least 100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza, with hundreds of others wounded, the health ministry reported.

United Nations Security Council vote on a halt in fighting has been delayed again by American veto.

“America is embarrassing itself,” the report says.  “America is losing credibility worldwide,” a news agency said.

When one has suffered, does one have the right to inflict suffering on others? Especially considering the magnitude of suffering much more significant than one has endured.

Approximately 1,200 dead Israelis are a tragedy. However, we must not overlook the other side. Palestinians currently have likely more than ten times the number of dead and injured. How does one justify such a statement?

As the war between Hamas and Israel continues with no end in sight, far more Americans, about 65 percent, are saying that Hamas bears a lot of responsibility for the conflict than say about the Israeli government. Much smaller shares of Americans are saying the Palestinian people (20 percent) and Israeli people (13 percent) have a lot of responsibility for the war.

Americans are divided over how President Joe Biden is dealing with the Israelis and Palestinians. They differ over whether Biden is striking the right balance in dealing with the Israelis and Palestinians (25 percent), favoring the Israelis too much (21 percent), or favoring the Palestinians too much (16 percent).

Generally, Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say Israel is going too far in its Hamas military operation.

The administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will prioritize the safety and well-being of Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs, as well as conserving energy in case the Israel-Hamas war escalates.