AFTER spending hundreds of millions for the Joseph Estrada case and after he has been proven guilty of plunder, he is going to walk a free man again soon.
As a political scientist and a student of law, I say our justice system is the worst in the world if he is to become a free man despite the seriousness of the crimes committed by that old man.
Our sentiments for him do not matter. Yes, he deserves pity somehow. However, he does not deserve to be a free man at all.
Justice shall be served. Justice shall prevail.
– Joseph Umadhay, Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat, Philippines (via e-mail)
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October 26th, 2007 at 5:34 am
I cant believe this is happening.. i feel like someone just slapped me in the face.. after everything’s been said and done, and how everyone talked about how bad it would make the country and its leaders look, Erap walked free!!!!!!
The moral of the story is.. if you’re going to steal, steal billions cause if you steal a small amount, you’ll end up in jail together with all the poor theives who steal to buy a piece of bread.. but if you steal billions, you can walk away a free man.
So how do i feel now that Erap is walking free? i feel like there really is no hope now for this country and that justice is just another word in the dictionary.
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Pumoputok ang buksi mo ng dahil Mrs. Pidal pardon Erap. As we already know the judges find Erap guilty of juenting money. Ang tanong ko, Juenting money ba ay pera ng bayan? I think not. If you compare Erap to the rest of President’s including bugos President. Erap, Is a better President. Most of those President’s bugos President stole bigger amount of money from government coffer, But you’re not even up-set. Wow! Salina
October 26th, 2007 at 4:16 am
let’s be pragmatic. it cannot be denied that erap has still a substantial following from pinoys. so the percentage between pro and anti pardon will be significant on both sides. to give both sides something to be at peace with… the pardon should be conditioned in no uncertain terms for all monies that he gained which were identified during his trial be surrendered to our country’s treasury. at last count billions of pesos. this is also based on his being identified as among the 10 most corrupt leaders in the world published in a prestigious magazine i read here in the states (in that list there were two filipinos.. the other one was marcos). but this is moot and academic. erap is already free. now the hope we can only have is this. that he voluntarily return that which is not his so he will not burn in hell when that time comes for him to leave this mortal life.
October 25th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
I cant believe this is happening.. i feel like someone just slapped me in the face.. after everything’s been said and done, and how everyone talked about how bad it would make the country and its leaders look, Erap walked free!!!!!!
The moral of the story is.. if you’re going to steal, steal billions cause if you steal a small amount, you’ll end up in jail together with all the poor theives who steal to buy a piece of bread.. but if you steal billions, you can walk away a free man.
So how do i feel now that Erap is walking free? i feel like there really is no hope now for this country and that justice is just another word in the dictionary.
October 14th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
President Estrada should not be given a presidential pardon, he was already convicted! If he will be given a pardon, there will be a great question in the government’s capability to give out judgment!
WHERE IS JUSTICE?
October 7th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
so, again my two cents worth. It’s tough being retired, I thought I’m finished being involved with Philippine issues, being that I’m now abroad, but now that I have more time to read, and have 5 Philippine newspapers online, and has always loved the Philippines, I want to voice my opinion, even if sometimes it is an exercise in futility….My question:
Why go thru the exercise of litigating, spending beaucoups bucks trying to prove Estrada’s culpability, spending more for his health, care, security, both for travel, detention, and health, even if the purpose is just to confiscate his ill gotten gains and not penalized him for corruption, if that’s what it is. He’s a businessman after all, the gov’t. could very well have negotiated with him to return some of his ill gotten gains (for sure they’re not getting all of them, even after the conviction, anyway), so they didn’t have to go thru all the Sandigan Bayan effort and expense, when they knew they’ll him pardon anyway, and sure he’ll refuse it. He has to generate “guapo” and “macho” points back after all the theatrics, wouldn’t you have done the same? But he can do it better than I can, he’s a good artista….
And it’s disgusting that even in the name of unification, that the gov’t didn’t even wait for him to ask for it, they took the initiative to start it, and they were refused (what a shame!). Isn’t that a slap to all those prosecutors and judges who worked very hard to put together a case and got him convicted? That’s why the Philippines is in dire straits. Government officials has no problem spending tons of tax money for “forma”. Most of the time, even in our legislative bodies, a lot of posturing happens without results. I just wonder why the citizenry tolerate these dramas and let the characters get away with them, but I should stop wondering, they took Marcos’, too, didn’t they?
Sometimes I feel like crying….