Pardon Erap? Pardon Me?!
Perhaps I will never ever understand the world of politics. Philippine politics, specifically. But, come to think of it, I don’t think the politicians do either. That’s why if they’re not at each other’s throats, they “unite” to get at another’s.
Former president Joseph “Erap” Estrada was unseated during the People Power 2 amidst all the numerous allegations against him. Some people questioned the legality of the process, but I believe the Filipinos (well, some, if not most) had spoken their displeasure over his presidency. Then a few weeks ago, the Sandiganbayan found Erap guilty of plunder after a 6-year long trial. He was sentenced to a penalty of reclusion perptua.
Before the trial, Erap said he would…
- respect the decision of the Sandiganbayan
- NOT ask for pardon from the president
After the trial, Erap said he…
- has “lost faith” in the Philippine justice system when he was found guilty
- is willing to accept a pardon from Mrs. Arroyo (and what do you know, he and his lawyers even seek for a full, free, and unconditional pardon)
How quickly we change our mind, eh? And all these despite the fact that he is being given a special treatment, so unlike the other criminals convicted of a crime less than what he did. Take into consideration that he fooled not only one person, but the whole nation. And now, the Arroyo and her cohorts want to give the twerp a *drum roll* pardon!
Hear ye the words of the wise who calls the Arroyo administration a spineless wimp!
But holy bejeezuz, I think I knew that this would happen all along. I think it’s just another “bati-bati na tayo” political culture in the country, where people are enemies at one term, then allies the next. Especially when power and influence all come into play. GMA is evidently saving her own skin from being flayed by the Erap supporters.
This might be grasping at straws as thin as Joey de Venecia’s hairline, but I think one of the reasons why “poor Erap” was convicted is because he was a former president. You know people, the bigger fish they catch, the bigger the glory and better the spotlight would be. If the sole reason why he deserves to be jailed is to show everyone that justice, as well as hypocrisy, knows no bounds, then why not convict the other corrupt officials of the same crime? All talk and no work makes the government lose whatever credibility it has left.
Dean Bacobo presents an interesting angle to what Eugine Villar says is a conspiracy theory:
Strange talk among erap insiders is that he may support chacha and make a big political comeback. personally i think he doesn’t want dona mary to die thinking of her son as a convict in detention. he may be doing it for her, because for so long, as you say, he insisted he would never admit guilt and would clear his name.
Ding Fuellos feels that a pardon for Erap makes a mockery of justice. Bebadz says that it “would set a bad precedent,” and would in fact “embolden public officials to steal some more.” Monaco gives “top ten (+1) serious and frivolous reasons on why erap is not worthy of a pardon” (the last one being outrageously funny, haha). Ederic Eder asks, “Ganyan na lang ba?” He adds,
Ang nakapanlulumo at nakapagtataka, nakagagalit at nakapaghihimagsik, halos wala kang maririnig na anumang pagtutol sa ginagawang ito ng kasalukuyang administrasyon. Para bang normal na bahagi na ng kalakaran ng buhay na ang isang mandarambong ay siya pang lalapitan at hahainan ng kapatawaran. Ano na ang nangyari sa atin? Tuluyan na kayang binaluktot nina Erap at Gloria ang pagpapahalaga (values) ng buong bansa?
So where does that leave me? Let’s just say that I’m against any moves of giving pardon to Erap, “full, free, and unconditional” or otherwise.
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Correction ms. Shari, Fuellos po ang family name ko. Hehe.
It is so sad that we have a system like this…
Perhaps the government really ploys for a pathetic support from Erap’s goonies or from the pathetic pardon ish itself by diverting AGAIN the agenda set by the media. Golly wow! CLearly our incumbent administration has marked another page in our social studies textbooks–of having the most politically mud-drenched ‘dead-malice’able and catastrophically incredulous come-whatever government in Philippine history since Marcos’ mayhem.
Ding, whoopsies! Thanks for correcting me. Typo.
I’m more mad than sad that this is the “established” system of politics we have. I honestly don’t know whether this system can be changed, but I refuse to take any more bullocks from the administration.
Neil, so you basically agree, on that aspect, with DJB Rizalist?
“Dead malice”able is damn right. Aren’t we proud?
@shari - I ain’t proud of it. OMG. as in they were making a very very popular trend that’s so explicit, everyone will surely raise their hands and pinpoint them that they’re behind it. Oh yes, the lagay system. Everybody knows that it exists in every government in our ecologically-dying world. But, stating it as though ‘a tradition’ and ‘permissible by the routine of our previous administrations’? Fuck that fucktard Atienza et al. Sinong niloko nila? I think he, among Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her cronies, needs to join ‘Kakasa Ka Ba sa Grade 5′ and pick the ‘Grade 5: Sibika at Kultura question”. I bet he won’t answer it.
Neil, aye! Palagay nila bobo ang masa.
Matatawa ka na lang minsan eh. Hahaha. Ang tanga tanga.
Our politicians are really funny. They should be included in the entertainment page of every newspaper! Hindi lang pala ang masa ang balimbing, pati mismong politicians… mga balimbing! Eek!
nakakaamoy ako ng chopseuy sa mga kaganapang ito. anytime soon, luto na yan. ewan lang natin kung masarap.
free and unconditional pardon pa talaga - ang kapal naman ng mukha! ano yun lokohan…
Tiffany, yeah, sometimes the ridiculousness of it all is just plain funny.
Christian, hay naku, please! Baka wala na akong mabasa sa dyaryo pag nangyari yan, haha!
Aajao, I beg to disagree. At least chopsuey’s ingredients are vegetables. Healthy. Di tulad ng sa politics, puro rotten tomatoes and bananas.
Liz, true! Taas kilay talaga ako nun! Huwat a thick feyz talaga!
when news of the pardon was circulating right after the promulgatiuon i didn’t think the gov’t was serious. that’s also the reason why i wasn’t that serious when i wrote that “top ten serious and frivolous reason….”. but now that it’s already in the news and only a mere formal confirmation is needed, i feel so bad, sad and angry at the kind of system that we have. nakakahiya talaga!
sorry bout the typo.
It seems that our government is fake… argh… me too I will never understand politics… ang gulo..
LOL :suspicious
naalala ko sabi sakin ng daddy ko nung election time, kasi mabango daw si erap nun. sabi ni daddy sakin, para daw ma-pardon sya, all he needs to do is campaign for the administration. who would have thought na almost ganon ang picture ngayon.
ganon naman sa politika dito eh. walang paninindigan mga politiko. lahat sila balasubas! so im wondering kung bakit naniniwala pa yung iba dun sa mga promise ng mga yon? Ooops… bayad nga pala noh?
Politics is sick and twisted. People can be so stupid and selfish. :suspicious :suspicious
ARGH. *frustrated*
I am sure you know I am not big on politics, but how long has this Erap issue been going on?!! Nasa Philippines pa ako nuon nag start na ito, hanggang ngayon ba naman? Like, get over it. And I am soooo against that pardon too!
I mean,yeah I did say get over the issue.. but do something about it at least (do not give Erap the pardon he’s asking).. ay nako.. Philippine gov’t nga naman. Nakakatuwa minsan.- *sarcasm*
I’m all for that pardon thingamabob. BUT for it to be given RIGHT AWAY? MON DIEU, GLORIA! “Lapse of judgment,” my ass. Pfft.
Personally, I never liked Arroyo. But I like her idea of how she run her country. So far, the economy is going up bit by bit.
With regards to the pardoning, I think he’s old enough. What does he think he is? Some spoiled child?
Philippine politics..
Bawi ngayon, away mamaya..
*sigh* I wish our lawmakes would look into the taxes of the people (pababain dapat)
and more important responsibilities.
ok… napardon na.
i think erap should not be given pardon unless ge gives back what he took from the Filipino people!
… and so it happened. This part of the Philippine culture is so rotten. I’ve seen it in before. To “forgive and forget” the gravest sins, their lamest excuse so other people would treat them the same. A rightful person wouldn’t condone that. But then again, who among our officials are rightful?
Monaco, you’re not the only one who’s ashamed of the kind of system we have. Lalo na ngayon.
Well, we got the confirmation we needed. And hot damn, I didn’t like it one bit despite the fact that it wasn’t exactly unexpected.
Traveler’ Road, our government’s a joke. Our justice system is a joke. GMA’s a fake.
Hi Janelle! I never really thought of Erap as someone who’s…”mabango.” Errr, I’ll take your dad’s word rather than chance having to sniff Erap’s body.
And for what it’s worth, I don’t think everyone’s in it for money nor for blind “faith.” Sometimes they really just don’t have any choice.
Nina, even before Erap was convicted by the Sandiganbayan, may talks na about pardon in case Erap was found guilty (which he was). Pero deny to death si Erap; di raw niya tatanggapin ang iaaalok na pardon kung sakali, at lalo naman daw na hindi siya hihingi. Kumusta naman ang gago diba?
Talamasca, we have different views regarding this. Para sa akin kasi, a pardon is out of the question. Bakit di rin ipardon yung iba pang kriminal? In fact, bakit di na lang pakawalan lahat ng kriminal kung ganun lang din naman? Just because he’s a former president? Come on! This is SELECTIVE justice, and I don’t want it!
Yoru, exactly. Who, indeed? Tsk.
When the “Hello Garci” controversy erupted, Mrs. Susan Roces said over national tv: “Ang mandaraya ay kapatid ng magnanakaw” (some people even made a text joke about it by saying that GMA’s marriage to Mike Arroyo is null and void because they are ‘magkapatid’). As GMA hastily granted pardon to Joseph Estrada, I can also say: ANG MAGNANAKAW, MADALING NAPAPATAWAD ANG KAPWA MAGNANAKAW!
sad moment for our justice system.
Pardon is supposedly an act of grace, NOT and act of (dis)grace.
hopefully you and the rest of the youth have not already become so jaded as to look at our justice system as nothing more than exercise in futility.
all government officials will no longer be afraid to commit plunder! There is “pardon” anyway ;-)
nakakayamot, nakakaasar, nakakawalang gana maging PILIPINO!
why prosecute erap kung di mo rin pala sya papakulong after ma prove na guilty. Kung ganito man lang ang systema ng gobyerno natin dapat lahat ng nakakulong pakawalan na. di yung mga importanteng tao lang na may pera at kapangyarihan. kahit ba sabihin mo na elected sya as president before, wala pa rin syang pinag-iba sa mga magnanakaw and manloloko. Dapat maging fair!
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gcu, I definitely agree! GMA must have thought that the next president would give her the same privilege because as soon as her presidential immunity wears off, she’d endure the same so-called suffering.
Siu, I’m not one to give up hope (yet), especially now that it (hope, alongside action and dicipline) is what our nation needs in trying times like this.
cc, onga eh. It definitely sets a bad example. Sa news nga kagabi, there’s this one school that teaches its students about Erap being a corrupt leader who stole the people’s money. Shempre, “bad yung ganun,” pero with the pardon the fake president gave Erap, mahirap ipaliwanag ngayon sa mga bata na ganun ang sistema sa society natin.
[...] was definitely not overjoyed (even before). All I could think of was that if given a chance to talk one-on-one with both of them, I’d [...]
Former defunct President Estrada did not deserve a presidential pardon likewise PGMA did not have the right to pardon the latter! it is the people who composed this nation and it is the Filipino who suffered from their caucus activities!!!
they used us… PGMA did it just to convey erap SUPPORTERS to support her… to save her term and to stop the ZTE broadband deal, the cash gifts to governors and congressman! what a great IDEA they are playing us..!
ERAP deserves to be detained as punishment of his sin to the Filipinos and even Gloria deserves it!!!
Now, we need to confiscate all the things that ERAP stole us and if he is sincere to what he call as public service he must return the assets of the filipino that he bribe for many years!
Ms. Shari your right pardoning ERAP is a selective justice…what kind of system we have? is it because you become one of the highest leader you deserves a pardon? where is the fairness of our justice! I thought no ome is above over the law but what happen to GMA and ERAP both of them were the exploitionist of this country..! manggagamit sila!!!
Para sa akin, huwag nalang tayong makialam sa politika… Let’s make things for the better! Ano ba ang makukuha natin? Tulungan nalang nating bumangon muli ang Pilipinas na matagal nang baon hindi lang sa utang pati sa kahihiyan!!!
GOD BLESS!!!! BANGON PINAS!!!:boogie:
i’m against sa binigay na pardon kay erap.. sana hindi na lang xa nilitis kung bbgyan din xa ng pardon.. nag aksaya lng sila ng panahon..
napaka unfair din nun sa iba.. eh di sana lhat ng nabibilanggo pinapakawalan na lng din..
sometimes people are really so stupid!!!