Tuesday, January 08, 2008 Malilong: Erap’s comeback By Frank Malilong The Other Side
A simple hint by the pardoned plunderer that he might again seek the office from which he has been unceremoniously booted out was enough to send shivers down the spine of politicians harboring presidential ambitions and scholars scurrying back to their constitutional law.
Can Estrada run for the presidency again? If he can, should he? The first is a legal issue; the second, a moral one. I say yes, he can and yes, he should.
With all due respect to those who hold the contrary opinion, there is no obstacle to Erap’s candidacy for the presidency. First of all, the supposed condition in the pardon extended to him by his former vice president and successor is non-existent. As correctly pointed out by instant constitutional experts, since the promise not to seek elective office is found only in the “whereas” clause, then there is, for all legal intents and purposes, no promise at all.
I share this view and even suspect that the hocus-pocus is actually part of a secret deal between Erap and his successor to protect each other. Erap was succeeded by Gloria Arroyo. Erap was convicted but pardoned by Gloria. Ergo, if Gloria is succeeded by Erap, Gloria will also be convicted and pardoned by Erap. Simple logic, isn’t it?
What about the constitutional prohibition against a president seeking re-election? Rufus says there is no such thing and when Rufus says something, it must be right.
Don’t ask me who Rufus is because if you don’t know him, then you have not read the law, any law, as interpreted by Rufus. Secondly, who cares about the Constitution?
If it says that Erap cannot run again, then scrap it and write a new one. It has been done before and I see no reason why it can’t be done again.
His critics belittle Erap’s supposed lack of erudition. Actually, his tragedy was that he was too far ahead of his time. Erap knew that the world, like life, would go full circle and it was inevitable that we again pass the stage where the likes of Robin Hood reigned supreme.
If he plundered, as the Sandiganbayan said he plundered, it was because he wanted to be Robin Hood. That is why he organized the Muslim Youth Foundation so he can share his bounty with his people. He had it all planned; everything went according to the script; and we would all have lived happily ever after if only Chavit Singson had not bungled his lines.
Fortunately for us, all is not lost; our golden era is soon to come when there is no more poverty and no more hunger because by then, we will feed the hungry with the poor.
