Erap Guilty of Plunder
FLASH:
The Sandiganbayan headed by Justice Teresita de Castro handed down its decision finding Erap guilty of plunder and sentencing him to reclusion perpetua (equivalent to 40 years according to the lawyers.), but acquitted him for the perjury charges. The two other accused, Jinggoy Estrada and Atty. Serapio were acquitted.
The accused through their lawyer, Atty. Flamiano requested the reading only of the dispositive portion. Thus, the whole proceeding lasted only a short while.
4 comments:
Just like everyone there, I also watched lived the reading of the verdict on Erap's plunder case. Frankly speaking, I was saddened in hearing that he was found guilty. I'm not an Erap supporter, how can I be, when I did not even vote for him - but as an outsider, I followed the events that culminated to this verdict and I know that Erap, being the President of the "bakya crowd", will not have the support of the "elites especially those who think that they speak English like Americans.(let them experience talking English to americans day in and day out, and they will find themselves being laugh at because they have a "funny accent".)The so-called Makati elites have not accepted the fact that an actor in the person of Erap won the Presidency with the largest majority vote because the poor people of the Philippines rallied behind him. They can't accpt Erap as their President because they were not the one who put him in the office - thus from the get go, he was already doomed. These elitists of Makati, will not accept that a person like Erap or FPJ will be put on top of them. Look what these people will do just to ensure that status. Grab the power from him, connived with the Supreme Court justices to make the illegal legal, add the Catholic church who might lose the contributions from the "elites" if they don't do the same thing, and of course the comedians from Congress. Now, even the Speaker of the House who hastily forwarded the impeachment resolution in a manner that is very suspiciously hash-hash, is saying that he is very saddened with the verdict.
The question that every Filipino should be asking themselves, especially those who allowed themselves to be used by these Makati elites, like the students and the office employees who also thought that they are better than those actors and actresses (iyong mga nag a-astang hindi sila bakya,)
Where is the Philippines now? Is Gloria Arroyo a better president? How come, the Philippines is now considered one of the most if not the most corrupt government in Asia. For me, the most unacceptable thing on this matter is the fact that these elitists used a person whom I think is "the mother of all corruption in the Philippines" in the person of Chavit Singson - took his words to unseat a popular (the real sense of the word politically speaking) President. If the country is in it's sad plight right now, put the blame on these English speaking filipinos, who considered themselves as members of the "intellegencia" but failed in a simple task of deciding a person's character like that of Chavit Singson. Now everyone is saying that he should be pardoned.What a farce!
It's sad that due to extreme poverty, many pin their hopes on heroes and can not distinguish make believe from reality.
Erap does not come from the masa - he comes from an elite family who did not allow him to use Ejercito as a movie actor because it would be degrading to his family.
He studied in Ateneo but got kicked out and transferred to Mapua. He can speak English. All those Erap jokes which pictured him as a bungling pinoy largely because he can't understand english is the work of his image builders - ask Reli German (who is now in Gloria's camp).
He could have used his immense popularity to push for pro-poor programs during his term. But he did not! Instead of studying what's best for the country, he spent late nights with his drinking and gambling buddies, the likes of Chavit and Atong Ang.
His inaugural address was well applauded especially when he said that "walang kaibigan, walang kumpa-kumpare at walang kamag-anak na maaaring magsamantala" during his watch. That was not true. I was still in DAR until a few months before he was ousted. It was during his term that the haciendas of Danding in Negros were virtually exempted from agrarian reform, a provincial agrarian reform officer was thrown to a distant province because Danding didn't want him in Negros, when Ate Guy asked him to promote her former staff to Regional Director position, a Laarni Enriquez ally to Asst Regional Director, etc. Nora Aunor even had a staff paid for by DAR (before the falling out). I know because I got to talk with him while waiting for Ate Guy who had some land-related problems then.
Karina David who was then the head of the government housing agency, resigned because Erap created another position (that would make Karina's job redundant) and appointed a friend who is a known private developer.
There really is evidence that Erap committed the crime of plunder. What makes it difficult for many filipinos to accept is that while Erap now got his comeuppance, Gloria, the First Gentleman and their cohorts continue with their corruption with increasing impunity.
Our only hope is that there is such a thing as karma. Three years from now, GMA will end her term (unless she does something again to extend her reign), and we hope that charges to be filed against them would prosper and forever, they will rot in jail.
Hi Toti,
Another correction I wanted to make on the comment I made in our blogsite about Erap's verdict is the word "lived". It should read as "LIVE". No "d". Thanks. By the way, when are we going to "skype"?
Danny
Danny,
I'll ask Alot if I can get the webcam tomorrow afternoon.
Thanks again.
toti
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