my friend all presidents are corrupt it just that erap was betrayed by his close friend chavit. look at arroyo she has so many scandals but fortunate for her nobody from her circle of friends and associates betrayed her. maybe she’s good at giving favors to them that they keep their silence. to silence the opposition which erap leads that’s the bargaining power of glo. this is what glo would tell erap “PASU or KULFOR” HAHAHA

Wow, nice theme! Sorry, had to say it.

Anyway, I think it was GMA’s plan to pardon Erap all along. If you put it in that perspective, it all makes sense. Otherwise, it makes no sense at all.

usc 93, so what is your position? all right with you if erap is pardoned? i don’t see the point why arroyo’s sins be made as an excuse to pardon erap. this is not a case of arroyo vs. erap, i see this simply as a case against erring leaders whether gloria or erap. If we pardon erap now are we are making a convenient precedent for gloria, that in case she gets convicted too, then she gets pardoned all the same?

rt, whatever plan GMA had is irrelevant at this point. if you see it as nothing more than a political plan; its nothing to be appreciated. she is just concerned of her political survival. in the meantime, people would see that there are two standards of justice: one for the poor, and the other, for the rich and influential.

“Mockery of our justice system”: strong words, and you hammer that nail right on its head. Yet, if I may add, isn’t mocking our justice system a fairly common practice in the Philippines, specially - and I could not agree with you more - when the big fish are involved? Indeed, if Erap successfully avoids the frying pan, we might as well think that justice in the Philippines is dead. Maybe not totally. Almost.

Yet, if I may ask you, my friend, who’s responsibility is it to ensure that this mockery will not continue? Honestly, I can’t answer this question my self. But somehow, this must end. And, hopefully, we could see this happen in our lifetime.

NO PARDON FOR ERAP.

emerson, what would the president do with the other co-accused like Jaime Dichaves, eleuterio tan, etc in the plunder case, if they get caught? Pardon them too? or allow them to rot in jail while the master is set free? Is that justice? How about that first Filipino who got convicted of plunder? Other than not being a former presidnet, what is the difference between them?
thnks for joining the call.

it is very frustrating for us ordinary citizens to hear all these brouhahas you know? Why not hire an assasin to kill all these corrupt officials in the government?
no matter how much effort all these trial lawyers do, nothing will be done much in alleviating the sufferings of ordinary people like me.

Whatever happened to the famous Latin proverb, “Fiat justitia, ruat coelum”? It’s really a shame to the government and to the justice system if Erap gets pardoned. Not only it undermines the lawyers who work diligently with the case but it also discourages them from pursuing future cases like these. I know this is not the first where money and influence towers over justice, I guess the best we could do is to shut up and put up or SPEAK UP! I choose the latter; so NO PARDON FOR ERAP.

“Let justice be done, though the heaven’s fall.”

Richard, that latin legal phrase is very apt indeed; sadly, its now seemed made obsolete by the pragmatist stance of our present government, and the culture of impunity that plagued the system.

The US Supreme Court has this motto: “Equal Justice Under Law”. If Erap is pardoned, I wonder how this would apply.

thanks chard.

Lev, thats kinda taking it to the extreme - although our level of frustrations definitely would get to us to entertain and agree to such an unsettling idea. Speaking of which, we hear assassins from the left, they’re called “sparrow units” I believe. I have yet to hear of big name personalities being made their targets
Why don’t we call Judge Dredd instead?

It’s sad, not that i’m against Erap’s conviction but because i know that our justice system is “political patronage”. That those who are out of favor from those in power are prosecuted while those in their circle are shielded by the law. I just hope that not only the poor Erap is convicted but ALL those guilty of graft & corruption…

astrid - agree, agree.

well, shit.
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the long reaction can be found on my blog. ^_^

There is an old saying “People get the leaders that they deserve.” rings so true at this moment.

yang, couldn’t agree with you more. this is a consequence that we have to collectively suffer. i just hope that we as a people collectively learn from this lesson and elect better leaders.

the problem is, so few good men run for office, and if they do, they lose to the more popular or to monied politicians.