Truth, justice, and Da Pinoy way

Written on Wednesday, October 8th, 2008 at 8:30 am | by benign0

Claudio Teehankee Jr. is free, and guess what, his victims are still dead. And on cue, we get these quaint platitiudes from our friendly neighbourhood politicians:

Sen. Loren Legarda: “Are we turning into a country that does not respect the law, that abuses its powers of executive clemency?”

Sen. Mar Roxas: “it’s sad that the government will act immediately for applications of clemency and pardon for rich and influential inmates.”

Normally such statements could be thought of as empathetic and sincere if it weren’t for the fact that they are so utterly cliched; merely highlighting the media exposure agendas of their respective parrots.

But of course.

Ateneo Law School freshman Lenny Villa’s death in an Aquila Legis Hazing back in 1991 apparently is no more than “an unfortunate event” from the viewpoint of sonuvajudge Jude Fernandez.

No problemo. Fernandez is now a proud and “extremely happy” practicing lawyer who is “thankful to the Lord” for the graces he enjoys today.

More than 800 lives snuffed out in a maritime accident involving a shipping company that continues to trade despite having been involved in multi-thousand-casualty “accidents” over the last 15 years — including the worst peacetime sea disaster in history.

Only in the Philippines. What’s another 800 souls in a country of 90 million among friends, anyways?

A president convicted for crimes of plunder committed while in office. Pardoned!

Priceless. The one time in Pinoy history that the crook — and not the lackey — is convicted and we piss that all away.

The Philippines, for the most part of its independent history has been a society world-renowned for its deeply-ingrained baked-into-the-core injustice. I go further to say that we as a people are, in the stead of epitomising justice, a society characterised by a culture of crime. A society that extends clemency to crooks who commit even the most heinous of crimes in the spirit of pakikisama and in the guise applying our perverted form of Catholic values in all its glory.

Of course it is the sole prerogative of the President to extend pardon. But placed in the context of the sheer amount of issues that demand executive focus in our backward little islands nation, it becomes a monumental headscratcher as to why pardoning a convicted killer could even warrant 10 minutes of exective time.

Get Real Philippines!

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About The Author: benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.COM and has once been described as "one of the most enthusiastic hecklers of the politically-passionate" by a respected journalist.

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8 Responses to “Truth, justice, and Da Pinoy way”

  1. BrianB on October 8th, 2008 8:48 am

    It’s not just the act of murder, it’s the way he did it. Unprovoked and without apparent motive.

  2. cvj on October 8th, 2008 9:13 am

    But placed in the context of the sheer amount of issues that demand executive focus in our backward little islands nation, it becomes a monumental headscratcher as to why pardoning a convicted killer could even warrant 10 minutes of exective time. - Benign0

    It wouldn’t be such a ‘headscratcher’ if you place this most recent pardon in the context of being another example of the pattern of Justice aborted under the present Administration.

  3. Jon Limjap on October 8th, 2008 10:59 am

    GMA is obviously shoring up support, both financial and political, once she steps down in 2010 and becomes a sitting duck with the number of criminal cases waiting for her when she loses immunity.

    I can see no other reason why she and her dead-man-walking DOJ bulldog have been doing what they are doing.

  4. Ding G. Gagelonia on October 8th, 2008 11:45 am

    Teehankee going free is simply the latest manifestation of how the ends of injustice are furthered in our benighted land. Truly sad.

  5. hector olympus on October 8th, 2008 12:36 pm

    Erap
    Jalosjos
    Now Teehankee.

    Who’s next?

  6. BrianB on October 8th, 2008 3:38 pm

    If I were truly brown-skinned and gifted with mass appeal, this would make my life so much easier.

  7. Patricio Mangubat on October 9th, 2008 11:11 am

    I’m not surprised my friends. Gloria is a goner. She’s simply waiting for the next controversy to tide the storm, so to speak.

    More than this Teehankee episode is the sad fact that even our very voices are slowly being stifled by the State. Look, just recently, the Supreme Court again rejected Senator-elect Antonio Trillianes Jr. appeal to serve the people. What had happened to the supremacy of the vote? Another one, this ridiculous proposition by Senator Pimentel to grant every politician the right to reply? is’nt is stupid?

    Teehankee is just a sign that things here in this country are going to the pigs.

  8. Jon Limjap on October 9th, 2008 11:46 am

    Who’s next to Go? Rolito Go!

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