RESIGN OR COMMIT SUICIDE?

by Felizar Mortillero

After perusal of the evidences and documents, and after thorough investigation, the Ombudsman engendered a well-founded belief that there were reasons to believe that Honorable Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revilla, Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada were probably guilty of the crime of plunder in connection with the PDAF SCAM. The proper cases of PLUNDER were filed against the above-named legislators at the Sandiganbayan (Philippine Special Court on Graft and Corrupt Cases) and proper warrants of arrests were issued against them and as a consequence they have submitted themselves unto the custody of the Court. They were and still are detained before the Philippine National Police Custodial Center at Camp Crame, Quezon City. They have tried to make use of their constitutional right to file bail even though their cases are non-bailable by filing a “motion for application for bail”, proper hearings were conducted but unfortunately their cries for temporary freedom were rejected by the graft Court, this happening would strengthen the claims of corruption against them.

In one of the investigations of the Blue Ribbon Committee of the Senate, then Secretary Angelo Reyes, an outstanding alumnus of the Philippine Military Academy, John F. Kennedy School of Governance (Harvard University Graduate School) and Asian Institute of Management, was shamed by the senators including Honorable Jinggoy Estrada for being corrupt. Even without proper charges in court and quasi-judicial bodies, Reyes out of shame did an unthinkable but honorable act of extra-judicially terminating his own life. In conjunction with this, I am hoping that the above named members of the Honorable Senate would also do a "Reyes act" out of delicadeza, if Reyes cut short his own life without being charged in court or quasi-judicial bodies, then Estrada, Revilla and Enrile should do the same since there are enough evidence for them that they are probably guilty of plunder.

If they can't take their own lives out of cowardice, then they have another option and that is the honorable act of resignation. Former U.S. Senator John Ensign (Nevada), a former presidential aspirant of the United States and of Filipino ancestry, resigned out of being accused of adultery, former New York Governor Elliot Spitzer resigned after being accused of hiring the services of a prostitute and former U.S. Congressman Vito Fossella (New York) also quit his legislative duties for having been discovered committing DUI (driving under the influence of liquor). Those acts of the above-mentioned leaders were not related to their duties as leaders, yet they resigned because they still respect the people who voted for them. In consonance with this, I am hoping that Senators Enrile, Revilla and Estrada shall resign because they have committed no ordinary crimes like, adultery and DUI, etc. They have committed a crime which is not just simple corruption but plunder, such crime constitutes betrayal of public trust, hence, suicide and/or resignation on their part is purely and simply just.