Who got an early Christmas or an empty bag?

Christmas is almost here and guess what? A lot of people already got their early Christmas wish, while unfortunately others are left holding an empty bag. Let’s start with the Hubert Webb and his gang who were freed by the Supreme Court, which shortchanged Mr. Lauro Vizconde who was left holding the empty bag crying for justice for his massacred family.

Of course it is comforting to learn about the recent memorandum order by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Jr. directing all the government investigating agencies to solve the Vizconde case in six months, so we can all look forward to the coming of the Year 2011 because in 6-month time, this case will finally be solved … that’s if you believe that the executive secretary has all that power to end this celebrated case.

Another group that got an early Christmas was when the Morong 43, those leftists who disguised themselves as “health workers” were released upon the order of  Pres. PNoy Aquino despite the fact that these people were caught in a surprise raid by the military, where at least five of them admitted that they are card-bearing members of the New People’s Army (NPA).

Indeed, the Morong 43 should now be celebrating their Christmas cheer, even if we know too well that communist ideologues do not believe in God … and Christmas is all about the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the God of Christians. Left holding the empty bags were the arresting military officers who will be investigated for human rights violation. Next time around, our military would be hesitant in arresting NPA rebels; least they end up holding an empty bag!

Then there’s the amnesty for the Oakwood mutineers given by Pres. Benigno “PNoy” Aquino III. Senator Antonio Trillañes (who became a senator of the land owing to sympathy votes) can finally join his colleagues in the Senate as he was released to the custody of  Sen. President Juan Ponce Enrile. Of course, their freedom leaves many business establishments holding the empty bag, with businessmen scratching their heads as to who should pay for the damage caused by that mutiny. Maybe that incident never happened at all … maybe it was just a bad dream?

If you look back to six months ago,  you would think that no matter how these people tried to take over the government, they ended up as the losers. Well, under PNoy’s administration, the world has been turned upside down and the losers suddenly become the winners! In the new dispensation, one is led to believe that it is the end of the line for the corrupt and the damned, after all PNoy got himself elected on the promise that he would weed out the corrupt government officials. But then that was a campaign promise made by a politician and PNoy is nothing but a politician who sooner or earlier and not later would break all his promises.

Well another celebrity won for himself an early Christmas cheer. I’m referring to former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) comptroller Major General Carlos Garcia who last week pleaded guilty to direct bribery and violation of Section 4-B of the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA). When he was arraigned, Gen. Garcia pleaded not guilty to charges of plunder, which is a non-bailable offense punishable by life imprisonment.

But by some sleight of legal hands, Gen. Garcia suddenly pleaded guilty to the lesser crime of direct bribery, which is punishable by only six to twelve years in prison under the Revised Penal Code. This plea bargain with the prosecution also meant that Garcia would return some P300 million that he allegedly plundered and eventually laundered to the United States in exchange for a lighter sentence.

Of course we are appalled by this decision and we expected a sharp rebuke coming from Malacañang Palace, after all PNoy won his presidency based on eliminating corruption and poverty.  But lo and behold, Malacañang issued a statement that they apparently cannot do anything about this problem, citing that they cannot even legally compel Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to explain this to the president.

Truth to tell, I cannot take this excuse that all of the sudden, PNoy who intervened in the case of the Morong 43 then allowed the release of the Oakwood Mutineers, including its leader Sen. Antonio Trillañes, got suddenly helpless and could not intervene in what many people say is a sell-out?

If this happened during the time of Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the Liberal Party (LP) including PNoy would go to town to condemn this act and blame Pres. Arroyo for allowing this to happen. Well, GMA has been out of Malacañang for six months now and we’ve no one else to blame this fiasco, except the present dispensation. It’s heartening that the Year 2010 is coming to an end so we can all “hopefully” see an end to this error-filled administration! I just hope for PNoy’s sake, it won’t get any worse!

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