EDITORIAL — The courage of one, the cowardice of another

For the third time in his lifetime, Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada finds himself charged for plunder. He was arrested at the Senate yesterday by virtue of a warrant issued by the Sandiganbayan.

As opposed to his statement that he surrendered himself to arresting officers, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said Senator Estrada was technically arrested because authorities were already at the Senate to enforce the arrest order when he requested time to issue a public statement.

However, that doesn’t change the fact that he didn’t run or hide, or sneak out of the Senate building in the dead of night following a fake shootout designed to fool people.

Like in the case of former senator Leila de Lima, we cannot compare but Senator Estrada to another senator who is now on the run. We cannot help but compare the courage of one to the cowardice of another.

Say what you will about Senator Estrada; he is still willing to submit himself to due process. Unlike another senator, Ronald Dela Rosa, now on the run from warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.

The shame that Dela Rosa must be feeling now must be profound; while he is hiding from the law, here was another of his colleagues who willingly submitted himself to it.

The irony that he is a former PNP chief who during his time in law enforcement urged fugitives from the law to surrender themselves and submit themselves to due process must not be lost on Senator Dela Rosa.

Don’t get us wrong. We aren’t saying that both of them are guilty of the respective charges against them. That’s for the courts to decide. But for due process to take its course, they have to submit themselves to the law.

This isn’t to glorify Senator Estrada. Someone who has been charged for the same case thrice is hardly one we can call a saint; but at least he has the courage and decency to face the charges leveled against him.