For president Joseph “Erap” Estrada has been meted a life sentence after an anti-corruption court found him guilty of receiving bribes from illegal gambling and kickbacks from the sale of government pension fund shares.
Estrada said he was tried by a kangaroo court. He says:
“I thought the role of justice would prevail here but really it’s a kangaroo court… This is a political decision. While the other countries are moving forward and developing, we’re not. Look at our justice system.”
Estrada’s son, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, was cleared of similar charges.
News Links:
- Philippine ex-president guilty of plunder
- ‘People are tired of political drama’ — Arroyo
- Philippine Court Sentences Former President Estrada to Life in Prison
- Former Philippine President to appeal life sentence
- Philippine markets rebound, peso recovers after Estrada conviction
- Philippines’ Ex-Prez Decries Conviction
HOW THE MEDIA REPORTED:
Veteran Manila journalist Sol Vanzi in an AFP article headlined “Playboy Estrada faces life in jail” reports:
A notorious playboy, Estrada lived the high life during the trial, entertaining guests at parties at his “rest house”, a luxurious vacation home two hours from Manila equipped with a movie theatre, gym and presidential library, according to media reports. The court said Estrada could continue to live in his vacation home “until further notice”.
Macapagal Arroyo’s sister not happy with decision
The Inquirer reports (Estrada verdict shows province-mates not all out for Arroyo) that “Arroyo’s half-sister, former Pampanga vice governor Cielo Macapagal-Salgado, was “so saddened” by the guilty verdict in Estrada’s plunder case because she believes he is innocent.”
Salgado was quoted:
I was moved to tears like the rest.
BLOG REACTIONS
PinoyPundit posts a TV video of the Sandiganbayan proceedings.
GeekyGuide says:
This isn’t really a matter for trying to find justice, I think. This is more of an exercise in more politicking, with GMA proving she is “worthy” of her position and thus providing others the appropriate avenue to express themselves in turn and identify where they stand.
PinoySpy Forum Reactions (Forum thread here):
PinoySpy member “aragond” says:
This will only show what kind of people we are. Erap was voted with at least 11 million filipinos and then ousted only by a mere 10,000 people in EDSA and a handful of men in arms. He was accused of plunder and perjury, but a lot of the accusers are doing the same. But then, they are the ones who are in power and controlling the government. We, the ordinary people, are the ones being caught by the tides of corruption and are suffering because of their greed.
We only deserve the kind of government we have because bottomline is majority of us are gullible
AgentOrange1980 says:
Actually i heard about how kind he is in person and helpful, but the bottom line is he done something bad and he should pay for it. That’s our law.
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remember midnight cabinet meetings where they just gamble in malacanan?where he wakes-up late and makes his first appointment always at afterlunch.where does he get the money that he gambles?remember the pagcor employee who was missing?do you really want him to be back?yeah i know,he’s kind to people.he’s generous…but for people just around him.there’s only one decision that he made that i really liked.and thats when he declared an all out war in mindanao with total news blackout.but for the rest,i dont know….cmon guys.he’s a veteran actor.think about it.
Erap is a goner doing time in his big mansion for the next 3 years where he can enjoy gambling, drinking himself til next morning, and talk endlessly to his ever so faithful carbon copy son Jinggoy about being still the president. Somehow those two share the same brain.
Anyway, it’s only 3 years more until the next president will pardon Erap. Then he’s free again. Sigh!….
cno bang presidente ang hinde nangurakot? kwawa nman c erap kc sya un napag-abutan! maituturing bang plunder ang pgkuha ng pera s jueteng? d b ang plunder e pgkuha ng yaman s kaban ng bayan, kung ganon ang jueteng pla e ang kaban ng bayan pero bkit pinagbabawal ng presidente? mbuti nga sya khit sinasabing nangurakot sya atleast tumutulong sya,e un iba panay lng ang kurakot
ganon talaga ang buhay kung ano ang itinanim siya ang aanihin may tubo pa. sabi nga ni erap weder weder lang yon, nagkataon na minalas siya kaya pagdusahan nya. ang buhay ay parang sugal kailangan marunong kang maglaro kung hindi siguradong wala kang panalo.
sabi na nga ba eh,sana c marcos pa rin dapat ang presidente natin..mabuhay ka idol kahit patay ka na!!!
sa tingin ko talaga NOT GUILTY siya pero hinihingi ng pagkakataon kasi kung NOT GUILTY paano na yung LEGITIMACY ni GMA tiyak bubuweltahan siya kaya kelangan sacrifice si ERAP .
Heto tandaan ninyo sa pag appeal ni Erap tiyak aabutin ng 2010 dun siya MAACQUIT kasi dina na Presidente si GMA>> .. TAGA NYO SA BATO yung sinabi ko.
Sana naman dapat yung convenor ng PLUNDERWATCH dapat din usigin ang mga tiwaling TAO sa GOBYERNO ni GMA./ wag sila mamili kasapi man o kalaban ni GLORIA para paniwalaan kayo ng BAYAN sa inyong adhikain.
Bakit di nyo usigin si BOLANTE ang ZTE SCAM atibapa..
hehehe…wawa naman si erap…di nakalusot, si arroyo lahat ng kasalaulaan nalulusutan…syet , parepareho kayo sa gobyerno…mga magnanakaw…kakahiya kayo…kakasuka…mula barangay tanod hangang presidente ang right term dyan eh…legal na magnanakaw.
Oh ayan…. mahihilig sa mga power parepareho naman ang mga sistema. Wala talagang mang yayari sa bansa, kaya sana naman ay maging lesson nato para naman sa ikabubuti at ikauunlad nang ating bansa.
opinion lang:
facts:
for me erap was the biggest disgrace in the Philippine history as a president.
why? not only because he was dumb, but dumber enough to be caught in his doings and be aired for the whole world to see and laugh about.
alot of people sure does supports him, even puts a fight for him, thats true.
ok here goes:
In edsa 2, try to analyze/sort out what kind of people wants him ousted.
what position/class in the society does this people have.
these are businessmen and upper/middle society folks.
these people pay taxes for their businesses/work.
or some maybe.
and who supports him?
squatters(sorry for the word)
people with no jobs (some)
*Miscellaneous*
these people doesn’t pay taxes, they don’t get to feel how it is to be taxed only for a corrupt govt to corrupt.
remember taxes is one of the life source of our country, in this contributions why such people are fighting over a position with only 50k salary a month, a yet you’ll see them in their grandeur, new luxury cars, mansions etc.
Summary:
Middle class/upper class: pay taxes that govt steals. feels the effect because of the services.
no class/lower class (people with no jobs: u already have an idea of what they are): doesn’t give a sh*t.doesn’t pay taxes. bored. go to edsa.makes some commotions. SIMPLE.
and lastly. about the current president.
we have to admit it, they are all corrupt. no one is clean.
even GMA.
but we have to consider the services done, accomplishments, qualifications over corruption.
Summary:
ERAP: corrupts. no service done.no accomplishments. not qualified. still he corrupts. weakens the economy. ousted. case: PLUNDER.
GMA: corrupts.a lot of services done. WITH accomplishments. Certainly Qualified. still she corrupts and cheats. Strengthens the economy.
How much is the peso nowadays over dollars?
bakit GUILTY????
NOT GUILTY DAPAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
la talaga keung awa!!!!!!!!!!
6 years house arrest…tiniis ni erap………for 6 years!!!!
di pa ba sapat!!!!!!!?????!!!!!!!!1