HE SAYS: THE INGLORIOUS FATE OF GLORIA ARROYO
MANILA, NOVEMBER 21, 2011 (TRIBUNE) Aldrin Cardon (photo) This week, as well as the coming days, and probably the next weeks and months and years and decades, hold promise.
We can hope because the wheel of justice is finally turning, moving toward a direction we all like but did not anticipate — much more hope for — as we have been resigned yo the bigger fate of our nation, which never had a good year since the day a Portuguese sailor and his Spanish crew set foot on our shore, until Friday when Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was served her warrant of arrest.
Finally, and the word reverberated in office halls and barber shops, and in the dingy sweatshops and wet markets: Gloria would go to jail… soon, or we can hope, at least.
Such was the overwhelming feeling that the topic of Fiday night talk was how government was finally able to break a dilemma — through a feisty lady Secretary of Justice aptly named Leila de Lima, through hard work, or probably pressure, coercion or magic, that had a court issuing an arrest order against Gloria, for the bigger, unpardonable, crime of electoral sabotage.
Electoral sabotage would shame plunder and murder, or both crimes committed in combo, because it is only through elections where all things should be fair. It is only through fair elections where we could change corrupt, plunderous leaders, like we did last year when we finally heaved a sigh of relief in casting our votes and hoped the winner would be one who could change the country for the better, or at least send Gloria to jail for all the crimes we believe she had committed against the Filipino people.
All the corruption and other excesses Gloria is being accused of committing during her nine questionable years of questionable presidency would momentarily take the backseat for this first case.
In the meantime, as many folks have claimed, it is all deja vu for Gloria. A reaping of what she sowed herself, called karma by many, a vindication for some.
The serving of her warrant Friday night was tame. It lacked the drama of 10 years ago, when a full battalion of police raided a once glorious house in Polk Street, in full battle gear and the regalia of warfare, with some operatives climbing onto the fence like they were to raid a drug den.
No, Gloria was not made to suffer the ignominy she scraped on Erap's name. She was given the respect a former president deserves, although on both counts of her claim to the presidency, the people doubted her. Yes, Susan was right: not once, but twice.
But the comparisons with Erap were not favorable to Gloria.
The informal surveys in radio and television were unkind, not even with her image — sick and complete with a neck brace, for props they say — splashed on TV and in still pictures of newspapers, could have won her public sympathy.
There were no eyes weeping for her. No vigils, no candles lighted, no prayers for her quick recovery and safety, except perhaps from those of her family and thinning number of allies. Times have changed quickly as quickly could.
She was composed, as the police officers who served the warrant claimed. She is prepared for this, perhaps knowing she cannot get away with all things she had done but tried them anyway. It will be for this courts to weigh, but witnesses would soon come forward, perhaps emboldened by the Friday legal juggernaut that had Gloria's team, which not a few claim should include her stooges in the Supreme Court, were beaten to the pulp.
We don't know all the details of the backstory that led to that Friday drama, but they all made more sense than Rebecca Black's infamous song, and perhaps justify for the government's dragging on the criminal cases it vowed to file against Gloria and her ilk.
We can put our faith on Noynoy this time. But we still hope and pray these land mines they have found against Gloria would truly reveal the extent of her crimes against the people. We should be watchful Gloria would not go the way of the Marcoses.
Government should have the same conviction Gloria had in pinning down Erap, however pale Erap would compare against Gloria.
We can hold on to Noynoy's promise, but our side glances should remain fixed.
No sympathies, no pardon!
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Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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