Erap pardon: No  justice… no peace!

Twenty-one years ago at the height of the EDSA Revolt, it was a proud moment for the Filipino people because we were able to rid ourselves of the well-entrenched and unlamented Conjugal Marcos Dictatorship without firing a shot! At the height of EDSA Dos, we once more threw out a popularly elected president, Joseph “Erap” Estrada, who virtually fooled the poor Filipino into believing that as a leader, he would change this nation into a better one…“Walang kaibigan, walang kamag-anak!” But Erap was deposed in another bloodless coup and once more Filipinos stood with their heads high, proud to be Filipinos.

But with all due respect to her decision and her presidential powers, when we heard the news that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) had given Erap presidential pardon or clemency, I could hear the howl of well-meaning Filipinos in the air… most of them saying, “Why couldn’t PGMA wait till Christmas to give Erap his pardon?” Call this the biggest setback to our justice system since the declaration of Martial Law! But rather than write about my own frustrations on this woeful incident in our political history… allow me to reprint the official statement of the Barug Filipino which encapsulates the sentiment of the majority of Cebuanos.

Cheap Justice

“About six years ago, a popular president was removed from office on charges of plunder. The event heightened expectations that no one is above the law and that corruption in this country can be overcome through the rule of law. It also, sadly, polarized the country. Volunteer lawyers collaborated with government prosecutors in building up a case that eventually won the day, despite legal giants defending the accused. We salute these prosecutors’ noble and courageous efforts. The landmark conviction by the Sandiganbayan last 12 September 2007 on the plunder case seemed to signal the turn of the tide in the crusade against corruption. Finally, we had a very ‘big fish.’

“It seems this hope could become short-lived. A hasty presidential pardon threatens to undo the gains in the anti-corruption and good governance work. While we respect President Gloria Arroyo’s prerogative in granting clemency, and while we recognize that justice must always be tempered with compassion, we question the wisdom of the pardon at this point in time.

“First, it does not give the former President a chance to truly redeem his dignity and to restore broken relationships since the first step toward such restoration would have been to admit one’s guilt, express contrition, and ask for pardon. He has not done so on all counts. Second, the hasty pardon sends a signal that government does not really care about anti-corruption and good governance. The signal is that if one is powerful, wealthy, and popular, one can get away with plunder. It also makes fools of all who worked so hard and who took risks to gather all the evidence and dismisses their work like they never mattered. It discourages whistleblowers and anti-corruption champions.

“Third, it raises more questions and concerns than it answers or resolves. How do we deal with other convicts, why don’t they all get pardoned? How about the ordinary BIR clerk convicted of plunder and who remains in prison? How do we teach our children that crime does not pay in light of the indecent haste of the pardon? Will unity that is based on political exigency really unite the nation? The hasty pardon betrays the spirit of EDSA.

“Small wonder our international ranking regarding graft and corruption has gone from bad to worst. We at Barug Pilipino, a nationwide network promoting a graft and corruption-intolerant Philippines, of the Dilaab Movement call on all Filipinos not to give in to despair but rather to remain prayerful and vigilant. All is not lost, despite this temporary setback. Barug stands undeterred. We are all part of the problem of graft and corruption. Let us become part of the solution. The Barug Pilipino Working Group: Signed by Engr. Ernesto Aboitiz, Ms. Gladys Ceniza, Fr. Carmelo Diola, Ms. Anbern Rodis, Mr. Daryll Estrada and Ms. Cristita Lopez”

Barug is a civil society group fighting corruption wherever and whenever it can be found. It is on the forefront in the fight against the alleged corruption of Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza. It also has the support of his eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, who sent a letter to Malacañang seeking a pardon for Erap. This puts the Cardinal in a spot, doesn’t it? That’s one issue that Cebuanos don’t like about our prelate. Lest you have forgotten Erap lost badly in Cebu when he ran for president. Meanwhile, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña had this to say, “Why should someone who only stole a pair of jeans be placed behind bars when a person who stole billions of pesos from the government is granted freedom?” If there’s no justice, there’s no peace!

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For e-mail responses to this article, write to [email protected]. Bobit Avila’s columns can also be accessed through www.philstar.com. He also hosts a weekly talkshow, “Straight from the Sky,” shown every Monday, 8 p.m., only in Metro Cebu on Channel 15 of SkyCable.