Friday, October 26, 2007

Sprung Outta Prison

So soon after my darkest post, we learn that convicted plunderer Erap Estrada has been pardoned. Just as the leading Pharisees of the day could not cast the first stone which would have ultimately killed the adulteress, so did GMA rush to the defense of her political existence, her way of life. Think about this, if your spouse is cutting deals worth $70 million a pop, what would you do to perpetuate a system that will automatically provide you cover when you are brought to justice?

So while this is a sad day it is also an essential rite of suffering we Filipinos have to bear in our struggle for national purification. Pardon was never for Gloria to bestow. It could only come from the millions of Filipinos forced to flee their country in search of a fairer life. From the generation of idiots we have bred in educational darkness, disease and malnutrition. From the many who lost their lives pursuing truth, justice and liberty.

A bitter irony from all this is I personally don’t hold anything against Estrada. The fool was used by the same operatives who engineered his rise and fall and who now determine it is time to spring him from his privileged detention in order to sustain this disgustingly immoral and lethally corrupt dispensation. I have always been full of hope for our country but I am having a difficult time at the moment convincing myself that we will have redemption anytime soon.

44 comments:

pian said...

TO DR. MARTIN BAUTISTA
While pardoning Erap is sickening because it will allow him to run for public office again, the good news is the wealth that was determined to have been plundered will remain confiscated, that at least in his case he was convicted, unlike the Marcoses who remain free. So I will continue to support PGMA being the lesser evil who can propel the economy forward. I only think of what’s good for the country.

Anonymous said...

@pian

Diyos ko. Kaya walang mangyayari sa bansa natin, dahil sa mga katulad mo. Hindi mo ba nakuha ang punto? Ninanakawan tayo, at sineset-up na ang lusot. Confiscated wealth? Bakit mapupunta ba sa bayan ang perang iyon? Sa kanila lang din, kaya bale wala! Propel the economy forward? Pinopropel lang ang mga may abilidad palabas ng bansa.

GMA is no lesser evil.

Anonymous said...

Shame, shame, shame!

It's now clear Arroyo has no balls to call the shots when it matters most to Filipinos.

No matter the age, the fact remains Estrada was a thief, who ought to be languishing in jail for the rest of his life. This is not an act of compassion as much as it is a move of political expediency.

I hope Filipinos rise in protest and demand the recall of Arroyo. She has no principles, no guts, no convictions, and she has no reason to stay in office.

As a Filipino, I feel so embarrassed to have a president who is a BIG JOKE.

Anonymous said...

@pian

Anong confiscated ang sinasabi mo? 'Yung P2,000 sa Velarde account? Hooray, makakaahon na ang Pilipinas! Hooray, magtatanda na ang mga magnanakaw! Nakabawi na ng malaking halaga!

Hindi lesser evil si GMA! Lesser evil na ba ngayon ang magpakawala ng magnanakaw at sinabihan pa na ituloy niya ang pagtulong sa mahirap...Kalokohan!

Anonymous said...

Lesser Evil?

That's the problem with us Filipinos. So many are willing to forget about long-term consequences in favor of very short-term "benefits".

Pian, this country has great potential, and the so-called economic growth under Arroyo is peanuts compared to what can be achieved without graft and corruption.

Haven't we learned our lesson from the Marcoses?

pian said...

TO ALL ANONYMOUS AND STURGE
Pardoning Erap sends the wrong signal that it's OK to steal as long as you give it back. But this is just a reflection of our flawed democratic system which I keep on saying is the illegitimate one because our voters comprise mostly of the masses who vote based on personalities instead of issues, so Erap got the most votes as President, Noli became VP, FPJ was voted but lost controversially. Obviously, GMA pardoned Erap purely for political reasons, just to appease his followers since he still commands a strong following inspite of his incarceration.
Just take a look at those who made it in the Senate. I read that Chiz E. and Alan C. both underperformed in the House and yet they made it in the Senate. Why is that? Because Chiz E. has the looks, being a lookalike of Bamboo, is very articulate to the point of mayabang, and headed the impeachment complaint at the height of the Hello
Garci scandal. When PGMA was very unpopular, those who go against her become popular. Alan C made it because he accused the FG of maintaining a secret bank account in Germany. Although his colleagues in the House suspended him because he wasn't able to prove his claim, he gained the admiration of voters and that's what counts. Trillanes made it in the Senate despite being a coup plotter in the Oakwood mutiny. He was elected in the Senate primarily to legislate laws he himself couldn't even follow by using arms. Voters overlooked this inconsistency. Why? Because they voted for him purely for his guts. Where are the issues/advocacies Dr. RGLacsamana is talking about? (This time I got your name right and I will never forget it hehe) Our voters don't care about them at all so they don't watch debates.
Probably GMA hastened Erap's pardon because of his ailing mother. Otherwise his supporters will be very angry.
With respect to the depleted wealth, at least we were able to recover something APART from the real estate, rather than nothing at all. I've learned to think positive in these circumstances. There is power in positive thinking.
If the recovered wealth should go in the wrong hands, they would have to do it very discreetly and not openly, so there is still an effort.
Corruption has been with us way back. The big difference is now we have honest public servants like Gov. Panlilio who's very transparent, but they did say this brown bag has been going on for years. It's good that we now have those kinds of public servants who will keep corruption in check and I do hope he remains in place.
I look at the economy in making judgments about the lesser evil. If PGMA is impeached, then Noli will take over, so that makes me stick to PGMA, like it or not. But if she makes further concessions by giving a position for Erap, then that would be way too much.
Talking of the giant step, it's not putting the Ang Kapatiran candidates in the Senate, but simply making them known thru the various forms of media. The internet helps a lot, but you can't solely rely on it because most of our voters are poor. You would be more secure if they invade cheaper forms of media, like the newspaper.

pian said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

@pian,

Know what your problem is? You give too much credit to GMA for the economy. The economy has been growing inspite of GMA, not because of her.

Make an example of the big fish and there's no telling what this country can achieve. Perhaps once you start looking at things this way, you'd realize that Noli can't do any more damage that GMA did. I wouldn't be surprised if GMA's cohorts themselves are the ones spreading this "fear Noli scenario".

pian said...

TO STURGE

So OK you don't give credit to GMA for the good economy but she's a valedictorian economist and she's leading the country. What is the purpose then of being a president?

I don't think that Noli was voted as VP for his capacity to lead the country but solely because he's popular with the masses. There's no need to spread this 'fear Noli' thing. It's simply obvious.

Anonymous said...

GMA was a valedictorian economist, true. In the same vein Marcos was a Bar Topnotcher, too.

You ask what is the purpose of a president? Tell me, is the purpose of the President to steal or to allow others to steal from the coffers of the government? Certainly a valedictorian economist knows that this will have repurcussions.

And what pray tell, has the valedictorian economist done to be credited with growing economy? The E-VAT was a necessary evil that any President would have imposed (remember even the UP Professors proposed to do this), so that doesn't count.

Letting Joc Joc Bolante and millions/billions of cash run off to the US certainly did not help the economy.

Hello Garci did not help the economy and so did the latest NBN/ZTE scandal...

So you might want to ask the question again, what exactly is the purpose of the President?

You say you are thinking positive, but how about a little positive action to go with all of that thinking? Thinking positive doesn't mean turning a blind eye on evil you know. You can not be selective if you want to effect change, because change can only be achieved by taking a tough stand against whatever there is.

Anonymous said...

edit my last sentence to say:

"...taking a tough stand against whatever evil there is."

Anonymous said...

Matalino si GMA, pareho ni Marcos, alam na alam kung paano magnakaw.

Tingnan mong mabuti ang pagkakapareho. Nung kay Marcos, Kumonista ang panakot, ngayon ekonomiya kuno, at sila, tuloy ang ligaya...

Anonymous said...

@pian,

Read my (virtual)lips: "short term benefits vs long-term consequences"

Until you overcome your fixation for the former, then and only then will you ever get the point.

pian said...

TO STURGE
I am taking action in my capacity by making suggestions and supporting the Ang Kapatiran candidates as they bring hope. Maybe you should too.
There’s a huge difference b/w Marcos and GMA. Aside from below, Marcos used his brains to put the economy down, while our economy has never grown at the level that GMA is doing.
Marcos dictatorship –
- controlled media (only 2 TV stations which should be pro-government)
- controlled congress (those who oppose him turned heroes, injured like Jovito Salonga, exiled, or killed like Ninoy)
- controlled judiciary
- Peso was fixed (supported by Central Bank borrowings which bloated our foreign debt, so this is deceptive)
- an environment of FEAR
Arroyo administration
- Free media (TV, radio, newspaper, internet mostly pro-opposition)
- Free congress (where Senators/Congressmen oppose for its own sake)
- Free judiciary (as attested by its recent loss with its case against the Batasan 5)
- Peso is floating (but getting stronger though – reflects the true state of our economy)
- No environment of FEAR
As I’ve said, corruption has been with us way back. The huge difference now is perception, as we have more honest public officials like Gov. Panlilio who’s very transparent, but that brown bag has been circulating before. Hopefully there would be more honest public servants.
What other choice did GMA have, given our very flawed democratic system where voters choose personalities instead of issues? How can the economy grow further if this very divisive issue lingers? Until our voters will learn to choose based on ISSUES, we will continue to be divided. If only there was a better alternative than Noli, this wouldn’t be as tough. But then again, if our voters were mature, Erap most certainly wouldn’t have been President, and he wouldn’t have that opportunity to plunder.

Anonymous said...

You seem resigned about the issue of corruption. Why? You say its been there since time immemorial. Is it really enough reason just to "roll over and die". If you say you are hell bent in taking action then be consistent, i.e. take a stance too against corruption, corrupt practices, and "evil" practices. Your silence only means you are condoning their acts and emboldens them even more. You know its wrong, so why allow it?

Once again, with feeling: "short-term benefits vs long-term consequences."

To stop corruption, you jail the corrupt. Do the math, it's that simple! You don't have to be a valedictorian economics major to grasp this you know.

pian said...

TO STURGE
The primary action I’m taking is to make suggestions and assist the Ang Kapatiran candidates so that it will increase their chances of making it in the next elections, and there will be more honest public servants like them and hopefully more will follow. I’m not simply making comments. I don’t want to condone corruption. What I’m saying is that people seem to perceive this is only the corrupt government so that I keep on saying it’s because of the difference in perception as there are more honest public servants like Gov. Panlilio. But I do want more honest public servants in the future. Right now I remain supportive of GMA simply because she moves the economy forward. It could move further if we’re not very divisive, and granting that pardon was certainly a political decision. Our economy never grew as much, not during
Cory’s nor FVR’s and certainly not during Erap’s time. You were asking then why we’re giving so much credit for the growing economy to GMA, simply because our economy grew as much ONLY during her tenure, and I wouldn’t credit that as pure luck and I don't consider this as short-term.
The consequences you're saying with this pardon may hopefully occur only during her term.
My wish for the long run will be for our voters to have matured and they will make their choices based on ISSUES and not personalities.
Like I've said, had our voters been matured, Erap wouldn't have been President, Noli wouldn't have been VP.

Anonymous said...

PIAN,

YOU ask for political maturity of our people, yet you are not mature enough to recognize what is right and what is wrong. Instead, you choose based on what is convenient for the here and now.

You want to help, let's start right here, right now. Let's start calling a spade a spade. Corruption in the past doesn't mean we should allow it to continue now. Fighting corruption shouldn't wait for when the "weather clears". If our founding fathers started thinking like you do, we'd still be under the Spaniards.

And don't get started on economic growth. The groundwork for the economic growth started long before GMA's term. The Phils was poised for economic growth during Cory's time until Gringo came along. The country recovered somewhat during FVR's term, but was halted by the Asian Flu. Then Erap came along with his forty thieves...

Pian, our economy has solid fundamentals, and it is not because of GMA. And the country could grow more that it's growing now if you could get rid of corruption NOW.

So tell me again what GMA has done for the economy lately? Letting go of Joc-joc Bolante alone counts as economic sabotage, unless you haven't heard of the issue? Try reading up on the NBN/ZTE scandal as well. "May P200 daw sabi ni Abalos", according to Neri.

Anonymous said...

PIAN,

PS:

You say you want "honest public servants in the future" puzzles me. To get to the future, you have to get started in the present, you know. 'Nuff said

Anonymous said...

Pian,

Here, read all about this:

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=97942

Erap's not running alright, but it seems, he's "campaigning" early for his son. There goes your "honest public servant in the future" but...

pian said...

TO STURGE
Like I’ve said, our economy never grew this much, and I don’t consider this to be pure luck. You say our economy has sound economic fundamentals, but as long as our voters remain immature, then you’re not solving the problem at all by removing her away. Certainly she has more brains than Noli, and being an economist helps a lot apart from working hard. You can’t be sure then that Noli will be able to get rid of corruption, it remained with us during Cory’s time, FVR’s time, and most especially Erap’s time. Campaigning for the Ang Kapatiran candidates would be a step in the right direction, to offset the early campaigning he’s doing for Jinggoy.
Granting that pardon to Erap was certainly a political decision, so our economy can grow further because of our divisiveness.

Anonymous said...

Pian,

Were going in circles, or haven't you noticed.

Like I've said, you have a strong bias towards GMA's economics degree, and tend to ignore how that degree was used to sabotage the economy. Read on Jocjoc, please!

And please start putting new arguments on the table. Brandishing GMA's degree isn't convincing you know. Your bias for degrees makes your choice between an obvious plunderer (but with a degree to boot), and the yet untested (but duly elected) VP laughable. Like they say in Filipino "mahirap gisingin ang nagtutulog-tulugan".

Hoy gising!

pian said...

TO SURGE
But I do also keep on saying that you will not solve the problem of corruption by booting her out with Noli to replace her, as corruption has been with us way back, it wasn’t eradicated during Cory’s time, FVR’s time, and indeed Erap’s time. So what makes you think Noli then can eradicate it? Obviously Noli was voted as VP because he was solely popular with the masses, and NOT because of his ability to run the country. So then we need to teach our voters to use their minds more in voting and not their hearts. If our voters only based their choices on issues, these Ang Kapatiran candidates would have easily made it and Erap would have not been voted as President, he wouldn’t have the opportunity to plunder, and there wouldn’t be this political concession.
If you believe that much in Noli, then he should’ve also made it as Valedictorian and there wouldn’t be this fear. If you say our economy has already sound fundamentals, then it’s alright then with you to risk it to Noli, but not to me.

Anonymous said...

PIAN,

More of the same arguments from you. You are definitely "allergic" to Noli to the point that it's blinded you to the evils of GMA.

By booting out GMA, you send a strong message that we, the citizens do not tolerate corruption, regardless of who stands to takeover the presidency. That's the only way we can ever end this vicious cycle of leaders whose main goal is to enrich themselves while in power.

And stop talking in the future tense. The fight to eliminate corruption starts right here, right now.

PS: Have you read up on Joc-joc and how the administration has been trying it's best not to catch him? I'm waiting for an answer. So stop using your fear of Noli as a smokescreen.

Anonymous said...

it's true we have the usual convention of branding the lesser evil and the evil in politics and it is also true that whosoever is branded the 'lesser evil' gets more support regardless.

this convention should be stopped. i do not want to content myself with this standard of governance nor with the quality of leaders we have. we should ask for more as we are entitled to it. we do not owe anything to the politicians, actually, they should be kissing our asses for voting for them (hell, it should be about serving the country not who these darn political personalities are). in essence, seeing as we were the ones who voted for them, we are in a way responsible for them and whatever problems we are facing now. whether we were cheated or not, fooled for thinking they were this and that, the people shouldn't be contented by the 'lesser evil vs. evil' conduct of the government.

erap vs. gma
both are evil. gma may not be a known gambler like erap, but she is much known for being a cheat and a thief (she and her husband that is). economy is gma's handwork...nope, i dont think so. analysts say that the economy will do better even without her prodding mostly thanks to the ofw remittances. what investments is she talking about? what concrete plans has she presented that really entitles her to claim that the economy is growing because of her?

point is, erap isn't really an oppositionist: he's in it for himself and for his sons who are planning to run for public office in the future. to think that erap begged for a pardon from an illegitimate president proves that he doesn't believe in what the opposition stands for. this makes him a cheat and it made the UNO weaker than they already were. to be honest, the opposition isn't all what they claim to be.

so what do i think about this pardon? it has cheated us all.

(http://underside.wordpress.com/2007/11/03/eraps-freedom-pgmas-downfall/)

pian said...

TO NINA
We do need change but first, we have to teach our voters to base their choices on ISSUES and not personalities, so that capable people, even if unknown but qualified, will be elected and there wouldn't be this political concession, instead of this popularity contest that prevails in our system now, so there wouldn't be this fear-Noli that prevails now, that he was voted purely because he's popular with the masses, to end the 'lesser evil' adage, but unfortunately teaching our voters takes time. In the meantime, you need to play by their rules. So you launch a massive information campaign to unknown but deserving candidates.

Anonymous said...

PIAN,

Like I've said before, change must begin right here, right now. Not the half-baked changed that you are advocating. You can't advocate change and turn a blind eye on what needs to be changed in the here and now.

Take a stand now or else any campaign you start now will come to naught, because in 2010 "Hello, Garci" may just as well be "Hello, Macarambon or some other Comelec operative"

pian said...

TO STURGE

But what you're advocating is such a high risk at the country's expense. You percieved that our country already has a good economic foundation, that it could then be handled by Noli who was voted purely for popularity. You're not solving the problem by booting her out, but making it worse. The main problem lies in our voters.

Anonymous said...

Round and round we go...

Same old arguments...

Please re-read and understand my previous posts.

Anonymous said...

To pian:

Personalities are not the problem, it is the culture of corruption. Whether you are a board topnotcher in Marcos, or an economist in GMA, if you are a crook, you are. So how should the masses more intelligently choose their leaders, when majority of those running are crooks or children of crooks.

Is the economy really better? Then how come the masses are suffering more? Is it their fault again? Teachers go to Hong Kong to serve as domestic helpers and send money to the Philippines. They are still not doing their part? Doctors swallow their prides and become nurses abroad. They are being selfish? Women and children become prostitutes. They chose the wrong path?

The evil of the country are the people who are involved in corruption, and yes, not just GMA. But for you to blame the masses because they elected Noli de Castro and the like is missing the real issues. What choices do people have? Why are they making the "wrong" choices? Why are they not as educated as you? Because those in position want them to stay in their miserable states, so they can continue to benefit from the system that gives a lot to the few at the expense of the many.

Anonymous said...

PIAN,

Still not convinced of the sins of GMA? Check out this site:

http://www.pinoybigbriber.com/index.php

If after reading this, you still think she's the best thing to ever happen to our country, then nothing will ever convince you and may God have mercy on this country...

Anonymous said...

PIAN,

Something to think about in times like ours:

"The Only Thing Necessary For Evil To Triumph Is For Good Men To Do Nothing" - Edmund Burke

Anonymous said...

PIAN:

POLITICAL PERSONALITIES ARE NOT THE ISSUE HERE, I AGREE. ITS THE SYSTEM, THE OVERALL SYSTEM BY WHICH WE BASE EVERYTHING. HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT SOMEONE WHOM YOUR KNOW IS EVIL? YOU SUPPORT PGMA BECAUSE AS OF NOW WE HAVE NO ONE SUITABLE TO REPLACE HER? SHE IS ILLEGITIMATE, MIND YOU, SO WHOEVER THE PEOPLE VOTE FOR, AS LONG AS IT IS BY LEGITIMATE VOTING AND NO CHEATING HAS HAPPENED, THEN I WILL SUPPORT WHOEVER THAT NEXT PRESIDENT MAY BE. LEGITIMACY IS THE MAIN ISSUE BY WHICH PGMA'S REIGN IS SITTING UNCOMFORTABLY IN AND IT IS BECAUSE OF THIS THAT SHE ISN'T SOMEONE TO BE TRUSTED.

WE ARE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT THE 'UNQUALIFIED' PEOPLE, SUCH AS THE KAPATIRAN, WHO RAN LAST ELECTIONS. BECAUSE BELIEVE ME, MANY WERE MOVED AND INSPIRED BY THESE MEN'S NOBLE CAUSE. I WAS AND IM SURE YOU HAVE BEEN TOO. MINE WAS TRANSLATED TO A VOTE, KAHIT ISA LANG AKO, I DON'T MIND JUST AS LONG AS I KNOW I VOTED FOR THE PEOPLE I BELIEVE IN. SO PLEASE, DO NOT REVERT TO THIS TOPIC OF THE KAPATIRAN BECAUSE THIS ISN'T THE ISSUE: SI PGMA AT ANG KANYANG MGA GINAWANG KABALIWAN SA PILIPINAS.

underside.wordpress.com

pian said...

TO SURGE
The big difference would be in the perception, you are definitely a risk-taker, while I'm risk-averse.
I didn't say GMA's a saint.

pian said...

TO ANONYMOUS
Migration of our health professionals has been going on way past this administration.
Our people did have a choice with these Ang Kapatiran candidates in the Senate but they didn't make it. Was it because they had the wrong issues or our people simply do not know them at all? There would be more candidates like them if they succeed in the Senate as more will surely follow.
The candidates who will run will surely conform to the maturity of the voters.
The GDP/GNP growth are objective data, and therefore more reliable than surveys which are purely subjective. While admittedly there's widespread hunger and poverty, there's greater hope of alleviating them because our economy is growing than no hope at all if our economy is not growing.

pian said...

TO NINA
It's good that you voted for the Ang Kapatiran candidates because they do bring hope but unfortunately you're just one of the few. If majority of our voters have only known about them most likely they would've made it. But our democratic system works like a popularity contest, people base their choices on solely who's popular and not who's capable. So it's our democratic system itself which is illegitimate.

Anonymous said...

Pian,

It's not an issue of being risk avers or being a risk taker. It's about taking a stand for what is right and what is wrong. Plain and simple.

Anonymous said...

(First of three installments)

Dear Pian and Sturge,

Like Sturge, I am critical of GMA and her administration, despite my participation in Edsa II. I would be lying if I said I would be sad to see GMA go...

We get the government we deserve. If we do not set high standards and expectations for our public officials, then we will never get good governance. If we tolerate someone stealing P 200 Million today, then don't be surprised if she robs you of another P 2 Billion tomorrow.

Serge

(To be continued...)

Anonymous said...

(Second of three installments)

Dear Sturge and Pian,

Please forgive my intermittent messages. My new computer is acting up lately. I think I bought a lemon. =(

Now where were we?

As for perceptions about how the economy is doing, I think our comments are colored by our respective situations in life.

If I were the owner of Globe or Smart, I'd say business has never been better in the text capital of the world.

If I lived in the slums, I'd say I'm worried coz I don't know where to get my next meal.

If you want a more objective measure, there is GNP, GDP, etc. but remember that these are aggregate macroeconomic figures. They do not show how the benefits of growth is distributed to members of a society.

As the joke goes, when an economist (or statistician) enters a room with 999 poor people AND Bill Gates, he'd say, "I reckon that on the average, there

are a thousand millionaires in this room." Yeah right, try telling that to the 999.

I am not in possession of hard figures right now, but from what I simply observe, I would hazard to guess that there are more Filipinos who are suffering diminished purchasing power. Obviously, you won't see me or the
people I mingle with in the Society pages.

Serge

(To be continued in the next post)

Anonymous said...

(Last of three installments)

Dear Pian and Sturge,

However, underneath our differences over specific issues, we strongly share common beliefs and values. So far, I haven't read any post saying corruption is good, a la Eddie Murphy's "evil is good", di ba?

For instance, I strongly agree with Pian that we should take a more positive outlook.

I don't know if you feel this too.
After bitching (or beaming) about the current state of things, don't you wish you could DO something? And I don't mean "my writing is my doing". I mean talking action on a different level, something more experiential than intellectual.

After all, didn't Gandhi say once, "Be the change that you want to see in the world"???

So, here's what I'm thinking. Why don't we (especially Pian and Sturge) do a little experiment in "blogosphere democracy in action" (?) (sorry, I couldn't
think of a better term).

If we find a common time (e.g. a half-day every month), we dabble a bit in some civic action which we would agree upon (be it planting trees or what). You could bring along a friend or your better half.

Before we break up, we could probably enjoy a coffee shop discussion of the things we write about here, or of things we've seen in our little excursion.

As I said, it's an experiment that we're gonna design and undertake
ourselves. Who knows? We might pleasantly surprise ourselves.

Imagine Sturge and Pian a month from now switching sides re: GMA, or your apolotical partner, friend,or kid might start blogging too.

Does it sound like (positive) fun?

How about it Sturge? Give me a call/text. Pian and the other readers: you can email me at flipmozart at yahoo dot com.

I hope to hear from you!

Serge

Pian: Don't worry about Sturge. He doesn't bite. I'm sure you'll find him to be very "friend-ly". =)

Anonymous said...

Para kay Pian at sa iba pang nangangarap na magkakaroon ng unity sa pagkaka-pardon kay Erap, basahin niyo ito:

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=99484

Quotable quotes:

"Estrada said however that his acceptance does not mean that Mrs. Arroyo has not committed any offense against him. He said that the present administration has even "stolen" the presidency from late actor and bosom buddy Fernando Poe Jr. who was the opposition bet in the 2004 presidential race.

Though he did not discount the possibility of running in the coming 2010 presidential elections he said the possibility may arise if there would be a no opposition candidate to step up. Estrada said however it is still too early to tell."

Ngayon akala mo siya pa ang na-agrabyado!

Naisahan na naman si Gloria!

Anonymous said...

Regardless of the merits of Erap's release, I don't like the haphazard and hasty manner it was done.

Several important bills languish for months and years in Congress, while Erap gets pardon in the wink of an eye (after his conviction).

Where are our priorities? Where is sanity in governance?

Tsk, tsk, tsk... =(

Serge

Anonymous said...

Merits? What merits?! All I see is a political agende which is now threatening to blow up in the face of GMA...

Anonymous said...

To anonymous: Okay, let's rephrase that to "regardless of the reasons for Erap's release"... =)

No need to split hairs there...

Serge

Anonymous said...

@Serge,

Sorry about that. It's just I feel so strongly about this matter...