|
Boholanos
speak on Erap Estrada's verdict
By
KIT BAGAIPO
CONVICTED.
Former Pres. Joseph Estrada leaves the court after the
verdict of the Sandiganbayan on plunder charges was pronounced
last Wednesday. With him are wife, Loi, daughter Jackie
and son Jinggoy, all laden with anguish. INQUIRER Foto
|
|
Even
after the Sandiganbayan convicted Pres. Joseph Estrada
of plunder charges, Boholanos are still divided whether
the former president is really guilty or not and whether
the anti-graft court rendered fair judgment.
In
a random radio survey conducted over dyRD's top-rated
programs "Inyong Alagad" and "Tagbilaran-by-Nite",
57% of respondents said they agree
|
with
the verdict while 43% did not.
Many
of those who agreed with the decision said they believed the
Sandiganbayan conducted a fair trial on Estrada.
They
said the anti-graft court's decision should be respected and
questioned assets of the former president should be sequestered.
|
|
|
Estrada's
conviction would also restore trust and confidence in
the judiciary and will serve as a warning to other public
officials that no one is above the law, some of the
respondents said.
There
were survey respondents who agreed with the conviction
of Estrada of plunder but questioned why the others
implicated in the case were not equally sentenced.
Those
who disagreed with the Sandiganbayan ruling believes
the Estrada trial was politically motivated.
|
Many
of these respondents held that the former president was not
guilty of the charges.
Some
respondents pointed out that other government officials linked
in high-profile scams involving public money, such as Jocjoc
Bolante and Maj. Gen Carlos Garcia were let off the hook.
Some
callers said the Sandiganbayan justices were pressured by
the Arroyo administration to convict Estrada.
PARDON
A POSSIBILITY
The
Sandiganbayan decision convicting Estrada of plunder is not
yet final and still subject to a motion for reconsideration
that has to be filed within 15 days.
Atty.
Isabelo Sales Jr., president of the Integrated Bar of the
Philippines (IBP) Bohol believes that there is a possibility
that Estrada will be pardoned but it will be after 2010 when
Pres. Arroyo steps out of the presidency.
If
Estrada is freed before 2010, the legitimacy of Pres. Arroyo's
assumption into office can still be questioned, according
to the IBP head.
He
said plunder is supposed to be committed by several conspirators,
since it is an act involving several persons.
Sales
said the verdict is good for the Philippine justice system
even as there was definitely political pressure to convict
the former president.
FINALITY
IN APPEAL
For
his part, Vice Gov. Julius Caesar Herrera said former Pres.
Estrada should appeal the Sandiganbayan decision.
Herrera,
the incumbent president of the Vice Governors League of the
Philippines, pointed
out that while the verdict should be respected, Estrada should
exhaust all judicial processes available to him, such as making
an appeal to the Supreme Court.
"Only
the country's highest tribunal could give finality on the
matter," Herrera said, as "there might be some details
of the Sandiganbayan judgment that needs a thorough review
and could be clearly resolved by the Supreme Court."
Pressed
to comment if appealing the verdict would cause polarity and
prolong the political divisiveness in the country, Herrera
said the more things will be "left hanging if it stops
at the Sandiganbayan."
|
