THE GUILTY VERDICT ON ERAP

WRITER'S NOTE: The following entry will only be an opinion presented about the verdict handed down on former President Joseph Estrada and of course, the court case itself.

September 12, 2007 - a date that will never be forgotten in the laurels of Philippine History. This said date ushered in the new chapter of Philippine Politics and closed down one of the nastiest and ugliest issues of Philippine interest.

As history shows, Erap was ousted by the people through the "EDSA People Power II" event. This event was ignited by the refusal of some senators then, to open that secret envelope during the hearing or case against Erap.

After a long wait, approximately 6 long years, the verdict was handed down and it says that Erap is guilty of plunder but acquitted from perjury. If you are to ask me which verdic does Erap deserve, let us dig deeper to the circumstances of each verdict before I say my opinion.

A "GUILTY" verdict will mean that the Arroyo Government today is still legitimate and we did not have a bogus president. It will also result to economic progress according to investors. It will mean that no one is really above the law. But then, Erap's "fans", the masses, simply can't accept the fact that Erap's "obvious" wrongdoings marked his downfall. A "GUILTY" verdict will also mean that the judiciary system in the Philippines, though it is still lagging behind other countries and at times, incompetent, is still an active one and still a force to be reckon with.

A "NOT GUILTY" verdict will simply mean that the Erap ouster is illegitimate. It will mean that GMA was a bogus president from 2001-2004. That simply is the reason why many assumptions like "The government made Erap guilty just because of Edsa 2".

NOW MY TWO CENTS . . .
Right from the onset, I felt that Erap will be given a "GUILTY" verdict. The evidence was really substantial. Also, the X-Factor was none other than Chavit Singson. This former Congressman had the guts to spill the beans and thus, he exposed to us the injustices of the Erap administration.

To Erap's supporters, especially in the showbiz sector, the Erap case happened first before the Joc Joc Bolante case, the Jose Pidal case, the extrajudicial killings, and so on and so forth. That is why it was solved first by the Sandiganbayan. Simple logic please guys. In my opinion though, the verdict divided the nation simply because the people have contrasting beliefs and opinions. Showbiz people are meant to entertain. Showbiz people are not meant to be activists who bastardize the country. Enough said.

To all the people of the Philippines, just accept the verdict and move on. It's for the best of our country. Erap did a mistake and he has to pay for it. We simply have to move on and help the Philippines become a better place.

In my opinion though, the special treatment should stop now. Erap's now a convict then he still has this special house arrest! What message are you trying to present here to the Filipinos, Sandiganbayan? If you are to ask me, that means you're implicating to other criminals that it's ok to commit one offense to another since they will get special treatment anyway. WTF is that!

Also, to both Erap and Jinggoy, why are you whining now? If my memory serves me right, you said before that you will respect the verdict of the court no matter what it is. Now, the contrary is happening. Talk about being true and being principled.

Savvy?