Playing with Fire
Judgment of history
By Gonzalo Duque
MIXED feelings.
That’s what we feel regarding the Presidential pardon granted to former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada. No less than former President Fidel V. Ramos, former Gov. Chavit Singson, and many others were against it.
Anyway, Erap is now 70 years old and deserves compassion and gentle treatment. Let’s not forget that the ex-president, a multi-awarded actor and once outstanding mayor of San Juan, behaved very well during the court hearings. He could have really fanned the fires of rebellion in the hearts of his legion of followers. This he did not.
To be sure, every one of us is well aware that we live under the sacrosanct Rule of Law, and it is on this principle that we should view the strong objections by the likes of FVR to the pardon.
At a news conference Thursday, FVR warned that pardoning Erap could bring PGMA down. FVR complained that Erap was unremorseful and has not admitted his guilt, protesting further that Erap did not sign the request for his pardon. It was his lawyer who signed.
It will be recalled that in South Korea, two former presidents – Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-Woo – admitted their guilts and begged for forgiveness from the Korean people before they were pardoned.
Sana ganun ang nangyari, FVR said.
We love to quote this classic reminder: “The corruption of the best men is the worst corruption of all.”
An afterthought: while the nation’s eyes are on the pardon of Erap, how about the hundreds or thousands of convicted lowly souls languishing in our jails? Will Erap champion their cases, too? It’s but fair, isn’t it?
You see, we are in a democracy, and fairness and justice are our strongest pillars.
Let’s pray that Erap’s pardon straight from PGMA’s presidential wisdom would redound to the good of the country.
* * *
We just came from the alluring province of Bohol as guest speaker of the University of Bohol headed by former Bohol Governor and Congressman David Tirol.
David is the brother of Lawyer Victorino Tirol, former DepEd Region 1 director and now director of Region VI.
We wish to thank our hosts for their very warm and exemplary reception including our tour guides, Lea and Melanie Tirol, daughter and daughter-in-law of President Tirol. They brought us to the famous Baclayon Church and enjoyed the Loboc River ride. The world-famous Chocolate Hills enthralled us no end.
All the toilets or comfort rooms in the places we visited were sparklingly clean. How we wished other places would be the same.
We remember our last visit to China with then Mayor Benjie Lim where in the outskirts we experienced an unsavory view — and, my, the smell of their toilets. Benjie must have heard us exclaim, “my God, agaylay banget, agaylay dutak!”
Back to alluring Bohol. We invite you all to see for your selves the beauty and excellent ambience of the place.
For that exhilarating experience, we wish to thank, thru this space, our gracious hosts – the Tirol family – and the Bohol Beach Club for the invitation. Our companions, Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU) secretary Dr. Ramon Cercado and fellow Dagupeño Nick Sta. Maria and his friend Rene made our visit truly worth remembering.
The Panglao Island Resort was beyond compare.
(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/playing-with-fire/ Readers may reach columnist at punch.sunday@gmail.com . For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)
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