Commentary
After Erap's conviction at Sandiganbayan, now what?
Not only Filipinos were glued on their TV sets waiting for the likely popular verdict, but even in other parts of the world wanted to witness what is going to happen to former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada.
It is worthy to laud Kapisanan ng Mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) in aggressively asking the Supreme Court to allow its members to have a live coverage of the promulgation of former President Joseph Estrada's plunder case after the Sandiganbayan denied an appeal made by media practitioners.
Indeed, the right of the people to information is not undermined although only the dispositive portion of the decision was only allowed to be read. This is because the Supreme Court gave restrictions to the coverage where the video camera should only focus on the court personnel reading the verdict, and that the coverage will only be on the reading of the decision.
Only the video camera of the Supreme Court's Public Information Office (PIO) is allowed inside the courtroom and that only the office's personnel can operate it have actually disappointed the members of the media who also want to get a better footage, maybe a better story, or just maybe a better scoop.
Then for a few minutes and right in our very eyes, we saw that Erap is acquitted of the crime of perjury but he is convicted of the crime of plunder beyond reasonable doubt.
Sen. Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada and Atty. Edward Serapio were both acquitted of plunder charges.
But the only question is: After Erap's conviction at Sandiganbayan, now what?
Of course, with regard to Erap, his battery of lawyers will avail of legal remedies that they can, and within their rights as guaranteed by our Constitution and our laws. After all, they are (I assume) abundantly paid to safeguard his rights. They will sure exhaust all means to protect the former president Estrada.
But how about us, Filipino people? If you listen to interviews to common people and even the most layman of all laymen, you would know that we have become, in general, weary of all these politicking. Weary of so much information on perjury, plunder, and maybe, even a live coverage that some of us do not even understand what is in truth and in fact happening.
After watching the "reading" of Sandiganbayan's decision on Erap's perjury and plunder case, we all go back to our own problems. What are we going to eat for the day? Are we actually assured of food in the table? Do we have money to give as allowance for our children? Or are we going to loan from our neighbors again? These are simple questions we ask ourselves each day.
We have not even moved one step up in Maslow's hierarchy if this is the case. It is still the physiological needs we first need to attend to, our basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing. True indeed, physiological needs can control thoughts and behaviours, and can cause people to feel sickness, pain, and discomfort. No wonder how our country feels so sick.
We are still poor after Erap's conviction at Sandiganbayan. Nothing's changed. We are still short of what should have been our highest priority--fulfilling our phsyiological needs which is basically having food in the table.
We would still feel sick.
For this is still a sick country.