The Ramen Girl dvd

Poltergeist II: The Other Side divx

FINALLY, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (PGMA) got her venomous revenge on former president and People Power icon Cory Aquino. This week, the remaining 10 soldiers convicted in the Aquino-Galman double murder walked their way to freedom. They regained their freedom after PGMA granted them executive clemency.

Caligula full movie

The Escort buy Vendetta and revenge were always high on the President’s agenda. It would have rankled PGMA no end if she leaves Malacañang without inflicting the severest and harshest revenge on the immediate family of Ninoy Aquino who turned critical of her regime. With barely a year left in office, now is the perfect time for settling the score.

North Country download August 21, 1983 was a critical turning point in Philippine history. On that date, opposition leader former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. returned from a three-year self-imposed exile in the United States to lead the struggle for Philippine democracy against the corrupt and much-reviled Marcos dictatorship. As soon as stepped on Philippine soil, he was assassinated.

Junior Pilot

The Marcos dictatorship conveniently pointed to alleged communist assassin Rolando Galman as responsible for the murder. But the Agrava Commission, created by the dictator to investigate the crime pointed to military officers, including then Armed Forces chief of staff, Fabian C. Ver as responsible for the murder of Aquino. It was a military conspiracy, the Agrava Report concluded with Galman framed as the assassin.

In the show trial that followed, the Sandiganbayan that was assigned by the Supreme Court to handle the matter acquitted all the accused of the murder. It was revealed later that Marcos pressured the Sandiganbayan justices to acquit the accused military personnel.

A retrial was ordered shortly after the People Power revolt on February 1986 when Ninoy’s widow, Cory Aquino assumed the presidency. After four years of trial, the Sandiganbayan found 16 of the accused guilty of the twin murders and sentenced them to double life imprisonment. On July 23, 1991, the Supreme Court affirmed with finality the conviction of the 16.

While serving their sentences, three died – Brig. Gen. Luther Custodio of liver cancer, A1C Cordova Estelo was stabbed in a jail fight and C1C Mario Lazaga of a stroke. Testing the waters, PGMA granted pardon to M/Sgt. Pablo Martinez in 2007. It was done obviously in retaliation for the withdrawal of support by Cory Aquino from the administration.

Amidst another corruption scandal on the World Bank project which once again involved the President’s husband, PGMA emptied the jail holding the remaining convicts in the Aquino-Galman double murder case. This was done to shock the nation and move away attention from the corruption scandal of the First Gentleman and at the same time, rub salt to an old and festering national wound. It was also an ideal time to deliver the ultimate revenge on Ninoy’s widow and family.

Batman Returns full movie

Malacañang did not even bother to provide an acceptable excuse for the pardon, making the message of the act clear to all. Making allege appeals from religious and civil society groups as an alibi, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita declared, “They feel that these people have suffered enough. This was justified for humanitarian reasons. They are suffering different kinds of ailments.”

The action of PGMA is both outrageous and deplorable. Why grant pardon on persons who never accepted their guilt despite the conviction? Until last Wednesday when the remaining of the 16 walked out free from the National Prison in Muntinlupa, the convicted soldiers continue to insist on their innocence. They cling to their old excuse that it was Galman who shot Ninoy.

Ricky Gervais Live: Animals full movie Why forgive those who were not sorry for their crimes? Certainly the action of the President does not serve the purpose of justice. If the convicted soldiers have to be pardoned, they first must acknowledge their crime, show remorse and ask forgiveness. None of the convicted soldiers have done any of these. They deserve to serve to the fullest the double-life sentence handed by the court.

It was neither pity nor justice that motivated PGMA to grant pardon to the convicted soldiers. The pardon was done with pure and unadulterated revenge in mind. To inflict the most painful pain to Cory Aquino, mock her and probably with the hope of making her suffering from colon cancer a little worse. Sadistic at it may, this is how the current administration gets even with its perceived enemies.

Whether the President got her ultimate objective remains debatable. A pious Cory Aquino may simply utter “I forgive you.” But in the end, this act of PGMA had only succeeded in pushing her further to the wrong side of history. Eventually, those who are on the wrong side of history are harshly punished for their evil deeds.

Little Miss Sunshine full movie Whatever pleasure the administration derived from this venomous revenge will eventually be canceled by the verdict of history and justice will have its revenge. PGMA’s place in history – where Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Marcos and their likes is secured.

Leave a Reply