Pardon for rebel soldiers: An act of injustice!

Our special presentation on our TV talkshow Straight from the Sky tonight is a glimpse of the past when we go on board the replica of the Galleon Andalucia. I just came from our bike ride from Zamboanga City and didn’t plan to do any interviews because I wanted to replay the show about population by Fr. Greg Gaston, which is quite very relevant in these times. But when I visited the Galleon Andalucia, I realize that right before us is great opportunity to show to our viewers what was inside a Spanish Galleon or a replica of one.

Being a student of history, I couldn’t pass the opportunity to help educate our viewers, more so that few Cebuanos even care to read about our history. For instance, few people realize that thanks to the Galleon Trade, it created a hardy bunch of Filipino seafarers.

Of course we were not called Filipinos then, (Filipinos was the name of the children of Spaniards born in these islands under Spain) we were called Indios. But whenever the Spanish galleons experience a shortage in its crew, naturally they could not find any Spanish replacements here; hence, Filipinos/Indios were put into their service. Eventually a lot of them returned to the home country. No doubt, they were the first Filipinos to see Europe or Mexico.

Few people also understand that Ferdinand Magellan did not come in a Spanish Galleon as the galleons came more than a hundred years later. Magellan used a Carrack and a Caravel, which were smaller, but faster ships, while the galleon is for all intents and purposes a cargo vessel. So with us tonight is Ms. Joy Guerra, Executive Director of Culture and Arts of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation (RAFI) and Galleon Andalucia’s 2nd mate, Manuel “Mano” Garcia who will give us a tour of his replica ship. So watch this one-of-a-kind tour of a replica Spanish galleon on SkyCable’s channel 15 at 8:00PM.

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When then Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo pardoned former President and convicted felon Joseph “Erap” Estrada on Oct. 24, 2007 the whole nation cried foul because here was the country’s biggest fish, finally caught in the net (although he was granted house arrest) tried and convicted. Yet, GMA didn’t wait for the ink to dry in that court decision and pardoned Erap. This is why Erap could still run for public office, which he did last May and nearly won the Presidential race!

Why did we get so mad at GMA for pardoning Erap? This is because Justice is something that is sorely lacking in this country. We didn’t have justice during the time of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos, no justice when Tita Cory became President, and just when we thought we finally got justice going in the time of GMA, she allows the Presidential felon to go scot-free! Justice eludes our nation once more.

When Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III took the reins of government last July, we really thought that we would no longer experience this nonsense where the Filipino people are shortchanged by another act of injustice. Well, just a few days after his first 100 days in office, Pres. Noynoy Aquino pulled a big surprise, signing Proclamation no. 50 granting amnesty to all active and former personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and their supporters, who committed acts or omissions punishable under the Revised Penal Code, the Articles of War or other Special Laws related to the July 27, 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, the Feb.2006 Marines stand-off and the Nov.29, 2007 Manila Peninsula Incident, and other related events.

What I found unacceptable is that P.Noy signed this proclamation using reconciliation as his premise or excuse. Come now, reconciliation? It just makes me wonder what he would have done if former Pres. Arroyo was his ally instead of his archenemy? Reconciliation my foot! The biggest loser here is not the 300 military self-proclaimed messiahs because they are the principal beneficiaries; the biggest loser is military disciple and justice!

Take the Oakwood Mutiny (which made an obscure Naval officer named Antonio Trillanes a Senator). That incident brought down the Philippine economy. All this is wiped out because of Proclamation no.50? What about the good obedient soldier who followed the chain of command? What do you think is going on in their minds? That they might as well have joined Trillanes and company? While P.Noy already signed this proclamation, both houses of Congress have to approve it. This means, it ain’t a done deal yet!

That’s not all. Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Oscar Pimentel who is handling the case of Sen. Antonio Trillanes is supposed to come up with the decision on his case on Oct. 28. What if he convicts Trillanes, will his amnesty still be valid, more so that it hasn’t yet passed both houses of Congress? Are we seeing another P.Noy bungling case? Abangan!