THE MOUNTAINEER

Act of statesmanship
EDISON L. BADDAL

Many quarters were taken aback when President Macapagal Arroyo pardoned former President Joseph ‘Erap’ Estrada barely six weeks after the latter’s conviction of plunder last Oct. 25. As usual in any controversy, many presumptions cropped up as a result of the tizzy especially so that the act was deemed untimely. The short span of time that it was granted was nothing short of disorienting. Be that as it may, many pundits presupposed that the pardon will be inexorably granted.

While supporters of the erstwhile leader rejoiced at the gesture, those in the legal circles expressed displeasure with the executive clemency particularly with the dispatch that it was given. They decried the fact that no effort was spared, not to say of the oodles of taxpayers’ money used, in prosecuting Erap. And to think that it was done in the most adroit manner to prove the latter’s guilt in the charges imputed against him.

Undoutedly, the coup de grace left the battery of spanking prosecutors with quizzical eyebrows. Who knows, they might be lamenting their efforts which seemed to have gone for naught with the pardon. At any rate, they are not to be faulted for this grouchy stance as they virtually optimized everything at their disposal just to get to the bottom of the charges against Erap as reasonably as possible under the auspices of the statutes.

If they had their druthers, they would rather that accused Erap should have suffered even half of the comeuppance imposed upon him. This is to compensate for the humongous efforts they expended in prosecuting him. Nobody knows but they might be nurturing a hue and cry against the assumption of some quarters that Erap’s house arrest for more than six years is tantamount to the penalty imposed by the Sandiganbayan decision against him for plunder. Such assumption stinks as on the contrary the detention of an accused in the course of the trial is a different from serving sentence as a result of a judicial decision by a competent court.

Ditto with the cops who zealously guarded the indicted ex-president round the clock since his detention. This is nothing to say of the peril to life and limbs that the cops braved through when they arrested Erap in 2001. Back then, the phalange of cops sent to arrest Erap at his house at Polk St , San Juan , were blocked by an unruly mob of supporters. But this did not preclude them from orcibly breaking through the barricade to effect his arrest. Just like the prosecutors, they, too must have been disheartened by the subtle act. Or, they must have felt betrayed and rebuffed by the act which virtually turned back the celebrated case to square one.

Dante Jimenez, convenor of the NOPE (No Pardon for Estrada) movement, described the executive pardon as “the saddest moment in history as far as justice is concerned.” Other groups who helped build up the impeachment case lodged against then President Erap in 2000 assailed the grant of clemency. They described the act as nothing less than a “brilliant political ploy aimed at removing a major irritant in Arroyo’s administration.”
What’s worse about this is that, a public apology may not have been among the antecedents for the pardon. This could be so as no apologetic statements ever emanated from Erap after he was pardoned even as a token expression of remorse for the contemptible deeds for which he was convicted. As any layman knows, the granting of pardon should be accompanied by public apology to signify compunction, even as a token, for past impudent acts. But whatever the intention, whether noble or expedient, is not an issue at this point. With the the pardon already executed, it is fitting to look at the obverse and reverse sides of it as objectively as possible.

On the obverse side or upfront, the disgruntled sentiments of the anti-Erap groups is understandable. This is because the general sense of moral victory they felt with the conviction of Erap a month earlier has suddenly turned into unspeakable grief. Back then, the conviction lent credence to their notion that all is not lost for the Philippine judicial system: that is capable of fairness despite several ridiculous decisions that demeaned its integrity in the past.

On the reverse side, though there may be a grain of truth to the charge that GMA granted the executive clemency to curry favor with the opposition, the act must also be weighed in light of the several negative controversies that is imperiling the government.

The fight against poverty is the primordial concern and knowing the futility of the fight if underpinned by chaos, she must have considered the grant of pardon to neutralize any vicious plots against her government. As things stand now, the opposition is in a tizzy as a result of the coup de grace as they were caught off-guard like a philandering husband with his pants down.

PGMA knows too well that economic recovery can never thrive under a state of political tension and disunity. The pardon was nothing peripheral as far as the roadmap to recovery is concerned. Aware of Erap’s clout and influence on the masses who continues to hold him in high regards, the pardon could not have been executed at the most opportune time that it is needed. This is necessary so as to finally start the arduous process of reconciliation to be followed later by unity/solidarity and teamwork.

Though Erap could not have been co-opted into the administration, at least his pardon could be the starting point for the consolidation of all stakeholders for economic recovery especially for the suffering millions in our midst who are subsisting on only a dollar a day. At the least, the opposition will think twice in any unproductive moves against PGMA as their rallying figure has been dealt with nobly by the dispensation. At this point, fighting poverty while fighting political controversies will never mix. Controversies should at all cost be neutralized and grappled with so that foreign investments will finally trickle in torrents in our shores.

It is not a secret that the reason why Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and China panned out economically because there is order, political stability and unity in their societies which has diverse cultures like the Philippines. Hence, it is not far-fetched to opine that the current dispensation has long considered reconciliation with Erap and the opposition as the vital foundation stone to buttress a stable and orderly government. And also to enable the economic blueprint to proceed without much hassle.

With the few years left in her term, PGMA could not afford to be facing controversies all the time. Diatribes and unending recriminations have no place in the economic recovery. Every act of cooperation that results in institutionalizing stability and order in the country is worth more than a investment in cash. Every deed done to enhance peace, order and morality is never a waste as it will further add to other’s efforts that will benefit the majority in the offing.

Reconciliation is a difficult dilemma when dealing with stalwart enemies but no doubt endowed with nobility when considering its ripple effects for the good of the nation. The foremost consideration of the weal of the majority should guide every leader’s act which is the is the essence of statesmanship. Going to the extent of subjugating one’s prejudices and the gamut of negative traits just for the sake of the majority may be going too far but nonetheless presupposed for a leader worth his salt.

A sterling example of statesmanlike act was when Kim Dae Jung of South Korea pardoned two of his strongest persecutors at the height of their power, Ex-Presidents Chun Doo Hwan and Roh Tae Woo, in 1995. He was then the president when the two were judged guilty and sentenced to die by musketry. For one who had been once sentenced to die by an implacable foe, it could have been facile for Kim to have them executed but the better angels of his nature took the better of him and did the reverse.

He did this to start the difficult process of reconciliation and to bind the wounds of his nation caused by the death sentence over his two staunch enemies. The result was that South Korea recovered from the economic slump of his time and even polevaulted over the hump brought by the Asian financial crisis of 1997. As Kim Dae Jung showed statesmanship when he pardoned his two enemies, PGMA’s act of pardoning Erap was nothing short of statesmanship. At this time, selfishness is uncalled for among the powers that be. Statesmanship should prevail and not just a momentary fad, all for the good of the country.