He said he was innocent. That he will never ask a pardon from the president because that would be tantamount to admission of guilt. He stood by this stance even after the sandiganbayan convicted him guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the multimillion peso plunder case. To show how determined he was in maintaining his innocence, he filed a motion for reconsideration before the very same court who convicted him. Former President Joseph Estrada seemed to be as firm as a rock in his conviction that he will never ask a pardon. That is until today.

 

        "Erap seeks GMA pardon", goes the inquirer headline. Citing the national highest interest, the erap camp sent a formal letter to the Office of the President asking for a full, free, and unconditional pardon. When told about this, GMA appeared to be elated and said that she would immediately forward the request to the Justice Department for evaluation and recommendation. Forget the word evaluation. Everyone knows that GMA is more that willing to extend the pardon and she'll most likely do it. She was merely waiting for erap to "ask" for the pardon. Afterall, a convict asks and not demands a pardon. But should the pardon be given?

 

         I dont think erap should be pardoned this early. Remember that he was found guilty beyond reasonable doubt of a very serious offense; in fact it can even be considered the most serious of the offenses that a president can commit. He was proven to have stolen several millions of pesos while serving as president. Instead of using his office to uplift the lives of his countrymen, he used it for personal aggrandizement. Those millions could have built thousands of schools. It could have educated millions of poor children that can serve as their ticket out of poverty. It could have built hospitals. It could have erected infrastructures. It could have... But instead, it was used to fund drinking sprees. It was spent on mistresses whims and caprice. It was used to buy luxury cars. It was used to build mansions. Every centavo spent from that money for luxury was a centavo gone for basic human needs. To let a crook be free ( he was never imprisoned in the first place, he was pampered in his luxurious rizal estate) after doing all these would be an insult to the millions living below poverty line. It would be an insult to all of us Filipinos. It would be a mockery of our justice system.

 

         To let a man be free after all these would set a bad precedent. It would embolden public officials to steal some more. Afterall, what would they get if caught? It depends on the amount they stole. If they stole in the thousands, they'd get years of incarceration. But if they stole in the hundreds of millions, they'd get a mere slap in the wrist.

 

         The case of erap is an opportunity. An opportunity to show that our justice system works. That regardless of your stature in life, be you the highest government official or a homeless pauper, you get the same kind of justice. If you break the law, you will answer for it. It is a starting ground for us to get rid of our culture of impunity. Impunity breeds and is the source of all corruption. Our officials steal because they know they can get away with it. Take these sense of security away and you take away graft and corruption. Take this arrogance away and you bring good governance. Bring good governance and you take away poverty. I hope our officials will see this opportunity and grab it. I hope they will not turn this opportunity into a tragedy by freeing erap and sending the wrong signal. That crime does pay.

 It never came. The next sound he heard was kumander musa’s wake up call. Like everyone in the barracks, he rose instantly and picked his m16 rifle which is slightly shorter than him. Time to play the real hide and seek; with the 31^st platoon of the army.They went outside, assemlbed, and moved. No time to eat breakfast. Lest, the enemy will catch up on them. As they trek the rugged mountains, akmad grinned as he recalls bits of his dream. He relishes these moments for only these bring him the experience of chidhood.