"Setting criminals free, long before they have fully served their sentences, sends a chilling message to all law-abiding citizens of this country – that THE STATE CANNOT DISPENSE JUSTICE PROPERLY. It emboldens criminals to commit heinous crimes knowing they can always get executive clemency if they know people in the Board of Pardons and Parole or Malacañang," - Fraternity “brods" of murdered victims Ernesto “Cochise" Bernabe II and his girlfriend Ana Lourdes “Beebom" Castaños in a statement placed in Metro Manila-based newspapers.
The victims, their relatives and friends must be seething at this administration for the spate of pardons and clemencies given by this cute administration to convicted criminals at the earliest possible opportunity. Some quarters say that money matters, citing the case of the dirt-poor rapist who was executed vis-a-vis the filthy-rich congressman rapist who was paroled. Conspiracy theorists point to the coming elections and the resources required to keep this administration in power.
I think there is a reason far deeper than humanitarian for these clemencies. The reason is also much deeper than the conspiratorial and revenue making aspect. In addition to the spite hurdled against Cory for taking a stand against GMA, the release of the foot-soldiers in the Aquino-Galman double murder case prove that compliance to the omerta code pays, whistleblowing does not. The wholesale release of convicts, at this time when there seems to be wholesale commission of graft, embolden the corrupt. This is this administration's way of assuring the crooks and underlings that in the slim chance of conviction, they will be pardoned anyway, if they just follow the code of silence.
No comments:
Post a Comment