Here and There
Rats in gov’t still playing while cats are not looking
By Gerry Garcia
THE pronouncement of the guilty verdict on ex-President Erap Estrada was made late morning of last Wednesday, also a day devoted to national prayer for unity and reconciliation, wasn’t even half exciting here as in Metro Manila where limited groups of Erap masses merged around the Sandiganbayan and in other designated places. A few cried and many faces reddened with anger over what they thought were a “political decision”.
From Basista where we motored through nearby San Carlos City and Calasiao town, we found most residents calm and peacefully receptive of the SB decision. Certainly a far cry from the scenario in Manila where local and foreign media were expecting a scoop.
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Two days following that historic promulgation against Erap we saw Pareng Oca again on tv giving his comments on Erap’s controversial trial.
Oca Orbos’ sudden popping out on the tv screen was not surprising considering his unexpected backing out from the ’04 gubernatorial derby in the province. The man from Bani has decided to lay off in the meantime, hoping for better days ahead. The resourceful Oca was not hard-hitting in his comments on either the embattled Erap or the Sandiganbayan.
At least his comments were not hurtful to his kababayan, most of them anyway, when he asked for calm over the drastic judgment of the court saying the Sandiganbayan was only playing its mandated role of deciding cases purely on merits.
Although personally he could not help feeling for his embattled ex-fellow-official Erap Estrada.
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A large sector of the masses who had welcomed the special court’s “drastic” judgment on Erap feel the justice meted out was not complete without including scoundrels in some government-owned and operated financial institutions who had miserably failed in the government’s life-style checks.
There are many other rats in the government who are still playing while cats are not looking.
(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/here-and-there/)
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