MADNESS. Pure madness. This best describes the action of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (PGMA) in granting executive clemency for convicted murderer Claudio Teehankee Jr. The manner it was done best illustrates the eeriness of the act, executed at midnight on Friday last week.

Fourteen years ago, Claudio Teehankee Jr. was found guilty of murdering 16-year-old Maureen Hultman, Roland John Chapman and shooting Jussi Olavi Leino. The three just came from a party and were going home. They decided to walk home when Teehankee accosted them and started harassing the teenagers.

Chapman asked Teehankee why he was bothering them. Instantly, Teehankee shot Chapman. The teenager was died on the spot. Teehankee then turned to Maureen and Jussi. He ordered them to sit down on the pavement. While the two were begging for their lives, Teehankee cold-bloodily shot them and fled.

The two were fighting for their lives when rushed to Makati Medical Center. Leino survived to tell the gruesome incident. Maureen died after 97 days of being in coma. A young and promising life was snuffed out for no reason at all. It was a senseless murder.

Claudio Teehankee Jr., son of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Claudio Teehankee Sr., was found guilty of the heinous crime. He was given a life sentence and two lesser sentences for the murders. After serving only 14 years in prison, this murderer is a free man again, courtesy of PGMA.

Bootlickers of the President quickly defended the action of their boss. Granting executive clemency is a power granted to the President by the Constitution. It is the prerogative of the President to grant pardon to whomever she wishes and no one can question this.

True, the power to grant pardon is exclusive of the President. Legally, there is nothing questionable about the President’s action. However, this power should be exercised with prudence and wisdom. A good leader uses or exercises his/her power with great responsibility. Not so with PGMA, not so.

If there is one thing consistent about the President, it is her lack of good judgment, recklessness and grave abuse of power and authority. The power to pardon is one authority PGMA had gravely abuse with so much impunity.

Convicted plunderer, former president Joseph “Erap” Estrada never served his sentence. Few days after his conviction, PGMA granted him full pardon, restoring his civil and political rights. The President is obviously trying to set a precedent. When it was her turn in the future, she expects the same treatment given to Erap.

Once out of power, an avalanche of cases will descend on her – from plunder, grave abuse of power, cheating to mass killing of activists and journalists. PGMA’s fate is worst than that of Erap. Granting Erap pardon, she hopes to evade responsibility for her high crimes against the people in similar manner.

The pardon of Erap was just the beginning. Norberto Manero, convicted priest killer was next pardoned by PGMA. Manero killed Italian priest Tulio Favali and reported feasted on his brain. Then came the case of convicted child rapist Romeo Jalosjos but was aborted due to public outcry. Pablo Martinez, one of the soldiers convicted of killing Ninoy Aquino was also pardoned by the President.

Next on the list is convicted murderer Rolito Go, rapist-murderer Sanchez, etc. The list can go until all murderers, rapist and those who committed heinous crimes get their freedom courtesy of executive clemency.

What the President is doing is unforgivable. By abusing her power to pardon, she undermined and destroyed the justice system in this country. It was not only a great affront to the victims and their families. The action of PGMA renders the efforts of the courts, the prosecutors and investigators to bring criminals to justice useless and a mockery of their work.

Pardoning criminals left and right sends wrong signal to the people. It will embolden the rich, the powerful and the well-connected to perpetuate any crimes of their choice. Why worry about conviction? Executive clemency is there to save them from paying for their crimes. All convicted rapists, killers, murderers, thieves and hustlers are jubilant with the decision of the President. It is only a matter of time for their turn to come.

What about justice? What about those who were victimized by these undesirables, scums and criminals? Does the President care about them – their feelings, anguish and pain, of losing a love one in the hands of these cold-blooded murderers? Sorry for them, the heart of the President only bleeds for their tormentors.

Someday this madness will end. PGMA will eventually answer for every pain, sorrow and wickedness she inflicted on the Filipino people. If not here, it will be in the hereafter.

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