On the Erap plunder case. “we wager our salvation…” w/ apologies to Justice Holmes

Guadalupe Ruins by Isidro Ancheta, 1937, Guadalupe, Rizal. (print from Vargas Museum)

With apologies to Manolo, (Manuel L Quezon III) at www.quezon.ph, i copied and pasted the following from his site:

From MLQIII: quote “marichu, so reinstatement only applies for officials suspended because of charges?

Quote “btw, in your opinion, how strong is the case against estrada, and for the layman, how should one go about looking at whatever decision the sandiganbayan hands down?” closed-quote.

My before-breakfast reply (I haven’t had breakfast, I ran before the morning pollution started to choke all!):

Hi Manolo! On “how strong is the case”: If I were a judge, I’d like to look at corroborating evidence; rather than what the protagonists/ antagonists said about each other during the trial and outside. If the main evidence of one charge is testimonial (“he-said-she-said”) evidence; you’d like to look at the hundreds of pieces of corroborating evidence (checks, deposit slips, etc.) to resolve any doubt. Unfortunately, that’s not what the public is being made to see: they’re being made to see Erap vs. Chavit, or Gloria vs. Erap. Whoever put out those ads last Wednesday is, wittingly or unwittingly, rabble-rousing. On: how should the public look at whatever decision: Maybe, the public can, after looking at all the evidence, ask: Can each of the three justices withstand tremendous pressure from all sides? Do we have a credible judicial system? How strong are our institutions? If millions of people think that the three justices are not impartial, that the judicial system should no longer be trusted, and that our institutions are built on shifting interests and collecting of favors, then this government should fall, whatever the decision is. Where does your faith lie?