Many have been struck by what happened at last Friday’s funeral for murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

As we all know, the journalist’s family pointedly asked President Coleiro Preca not to attend the funeral. It also asked the political leaders to abstain from going. Both Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Opposition leader Adrian Delia stayed away from what was a highly emotive event. Other MPs did attend. The media too was asked not to attend. A funerary wreath with, it is said, the name of the Speaker of the House, had its tag torn out in full view of the church.

Some have seen this as going too far, as exacerbating an already inflamed event.

But, without going into the political aspect of the decision, and without necessarily being in support of all that the Occupy Justice group and the Caruana Galizia family are doing, there is a proverbial justice in this decision.

For a long time, the people at the top of the nation have acted as if the nation belongs to them. They may fight like alley cats, especially the political leaders, Sunday after Sunday, but then they seem to expect to occupy the first seats at any event with national significance.

They come in as if invited and their presence distorts the whole event.

In this case, then, seeing that Daphne Caruana Galizia had reserved very pointed barbs at the three of them, in unequal measure, their presence in the church would have been quite ambiguous: would they have been there as if to remind people what the dead journalist had said about them? Or to put an end to the journalist’s writings by rejoicing they were alive but she was dead?

The three leaders should not be offended, nor act as if offended. There is a time and place for everything and everyone. Just because they are Head of State, Head of Government and Leader of the Opposition does not mean they can march in as if that’s their right.

We are not going to ask whether in their heart of hearts the three shared in the mood of mourning at the death of the journalist/blogger. That is up to them and their consciences.

If they really want to register their condolences, there is another way – yesterday marked three weeks since the bomb explosion and we are nowhere nearer than we were then at finding who put the bomb and who put him up to it. If the three State leaders want to offer their condolences, they should urge, with all the means at their disposal, the investigators to come up with results because all this lack of progress is further piling on tension in the country.

That is, after all, their real job: each in his or her proper sphere they should get the wheels of justice to turn, the murderer found and punished so that the country at large can come to live in peace after all this trauma.