Thoughts on Erap’s conviction
It’s about justice.
The Sandiganbayan ruled unanimously that former president Estrada was guilty beyond reasonable doubt. From a purely legal perspective, justice has been served.
But justice does not belong to lawyers and courts alone. It belongs to the people. They decide what is just or unjust. In that sense, there’s more to justice than what the law and the courts say.
In a case like Erap’s, the people are, ultimately, the judge and jury. And they are not limited by the rules of evidence and other legalities because they are guided by their “sense of justice”. It’s neither good nor bad, right nor wrong; it’s just the way it is. It’s called the collective wisdom of the people.
People will only say justice has been served if they believe justice has been served. That means they ask themselves: Was it prosecution or persecution? Were the scales of justice balanced or were they tilted? Was Lady Justice blind or blinded?
The verdict on Erap should have put closure to the events that led to his downfall. But it did not because the trial and the verdict did not address the politics that was at the root of it all. It failed to transform a political issue into a judicial issue where one can say “case closed!”
Erap succeeded in portraying himself as an underdog. And that negated any chance that people will accept the notion that no one is above the law.
The conviction of Erap only proved to the weak and powerless, rightly or wrongly, that the powerful can and will do what they please and get away with it.
It proved to them that the whole thing was about politics, not justice.
It did not restore the people’s faith in the judicial system or in the government as a whole.
People did not sense that justice was served. And that’s exactly what shouldn’t have happened.
on September 13th, 2007 at 12:33 am
But Manuel, this is the reality in the Philippines - the powerful can and will do what they please and get away with it.
on September 13th, 2007 at 4:00 am
“But justice does not belong to lawyers and courts alone. It belongs to the people. They decide what is just or unjust. In that sense, there’s more to justice than what the law and the courts say.”
Sounds like you have been living under a rock all these years.
on September 13th, 2007 at 6:59 am
I must agree that people will always have their own perception. And that history will judge Erap sooner or later.
on September 13th, 2007 at 7:20 am
Anna,
The whole point of prosecuting Erap was to project a different reality: a climate of accountability rather than impunity. That crime does not pay.
It did exacly the opposite. Instead of scaring would-be-crooks, it confirmed that one only has to be with the right crowd..
The court made a mistake not allowing the entire trial televised. By not permitting the people to see “justice at work” they were not given the chance to appreciate the evidence for themselves.
In the end people based their decision on the spin of both the prosecution and the defense. And Gloria lost the spin war. She was unable to convince the public to accept the court’s verdict that Erap was guilty beyond reasonable doubt.. .
on September 13th, 2007 at 7:28 am
Schumey,
That’s the sad part. Accountability cannot be left to history. That’s leaving unfinished business to the next generation.
on September 13th, 2007 at 7:36 am
“Instead of scaring would-be-crooks, it confirmed that one only has to be with the right crowd..”
I said virtually the same thing in Ellen’s blog - the whole Estrada conviction just made lots of people in Gloria’s govt bolder precisely for the same reason.
on September 13th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
[...] The blog Uniffors, in looking at the Estrada verdict, says this: In a case like Erap’s, the people are, ultimately, the judge and jury. And they are not limited by the rules of evidence and other legalities because they are guided by their “sense of justice”. It’s neither good nor bad, right nor wrong; it’s just the way it is. It’s called the collective wisdom of the people. [...]
on September 13th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
[...] In the blogosphere, more comments about yesterday’s guilty verdict on Mr. Estrada: Uniffors says it was all about justice. A Simple Life reiterates a common thought, that its time to move on. Read Touched By An Angel’s poignant remarks, as she remembered all those Erap jokes her late son used to adore. [...]
on September 13th, 2007 at 7:17 pm
Manuel, I am not an Erap fan, but I agree with your comments to Ana that the Guilty sentence of conviction of “The conviction of Erap only proved to the weak and powerless, rightly or wrongly, that the powerful can and will do what they please and get away with it” as long as they are “the right crowd..”
on September 13th, 2007 at 7:19 pm
Ooops, I accidentally clicked..should read:
Manuel, I am not an Erap fan, but I agree with your comments that “The conviction of Erap only proved to the weak and powerless, rightly or wrongly, that the powerful can and will do what they please and get away with it” as long as they are, as you said in your comments to Ana, “with the right crowd..”
on September 13th, 2007 at 10:17 pm
From MLQ3 blog
In a recent SWS survey, Erap was found to be trustworthy than Arroyo and believed that the former is far better than the latter (Read the full SWS report). But the bottom-line is, justice is not dictated by public opinion. He committed acts of unbecoming of a president, which only deserve such penal discipline. Of course the sympathy outpours on the convicted, but be reminded that our acts towards men has consequences that has to be faced. And it is now time that Erap should face his’.
Possibly, the good that came out of this is that all are accountable for their actions, even the present Malacanang occupants. If Erap can be convicted..can theirs be close.by .like after 2010?
on September 13th, 2007 at 10:50 pm
“He committed acts of unbecoming of a president, which only deserve such penal discipline. ”
Hahahahahaha!
Depends on what you mean by “acts unbecoming a president. If they are acts of corruption, moral and financial, all of them have done that. Of course, Gloria cannot be accused of womanizing, heck but the looting, boy oh boy, that’s more than philandering crime (if it could be called a crime).
All the presidents of the Philippines committed acts unbecoming a president - without any exception. They probably didn’t steal silver from the homes of their hosts, but they did it in other ways.
on September 13th, 2007 at 10:55 pm
gabriel,
My comment was whether or not the public thought justice was served. The case involving Erap was not like any other criminal case. A lot of extraneous things entered into the picture. Those external factors are what GMA and her people failed to address. They lost a golden opportunity to show the public that all are accountable because Erap sudeeded in potraying himselg as an underdog.
on September 15th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
The truth is that you just don’t agree with the Sandiganbayan guilty ruling on your beloved Erap Estrada. That’s fine.
As for the rest of the crap you wrote, well, you will do Ateneans and the rest of us a great service by climbing back under the rock where you came from.
on September 15th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
Dante,
The truth is you just totally agree with the Sandiganbayan ruling on your hated Erap Estrada, That’s fine.
As for your the rest of the crap you wrote, well, you will do Ateneans and the rest of us a great service by learning a little English - You cannot CLIMB back UNDER a rock. You can slither back under a rock.
Hey and there’s a name for Ateneans who idolize Gordon - “Dickheads! “
on September 16th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
I think Ateneans should be mighty proud of Manuel Buencamino - he’s got his head screwed in the right place while Dick Gordon’s is screwed in the wrong place, hence the “dickhead” tag is very appropriate.
(Oh yeah, don’t ask me how I know - one doesn’t have to check his dick to see it (his head), one only has to hear him speak inanities eg, referring to de Castro, “Magaling yan kasi naging kaklase ko yan!”)