Sorry Na - Muntinlupa Style

Today's headlines can really kill.

Aquino says sorry to Estrada
Concedes Edsa II a mistake
By Leila Salaverria
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:52:00 12/23/2008

MANILA, Philippines—It was her second mea culpa, but this time former President Corazon Aquino said it in his presence.

Ex-President Joseph Estrada said he felt vindicated.

At the star-studded launch Monday of former Speaker Jose de Venecia’s book that gave accounts of scandals that had hounded President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Aquino asked Estrada for forgiveness for joining the Edsa II uprising that ousted him.

“I am one of those who plead guilty for the 2001 (uprising). Lahat naman tayo nagkakamali. Patawarin mo na lang ako (All of us make mistakes. Forgive me),” Aquino said in her brief but well-received remarks at the Podium mall in Ortigas Center, Pasig City.

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By saying that Edsa 2 was a mistake, the fight against corruption in this country has fallen, or thrown down the cliff of politics.

We must remember that we fought in Edsa 2 not simply to depose former President Estrada, but to make a stand that we do not condone corruption, especially when evidence already presents itself to us. We made a stand against corruption and cronyism, two ills of our country that keeps us from progress.

Edsa 2 was a fight, yes, to throw Estrada out of Malacanang, because he is not just the epitome of corruption and cronyism at that time, but because it was our way of saying no to his way of traditional politics. He was convicted out of overwhelming evidence (who can forget Clarissa Ocampo), but eventually pardoned. But his pardon does not erase the fact that he wronged the people by stealing and plundering from the people's money.

This, however, does not say that other officials are not without sins too, just that some are more cunning and scheming than others, and this "some" includes both the current President and the First Gentleman.

The news that Aquino apologized already irked me the first time I read about it before, and I quote myself, again, in an old post:

and what irked me more than what erap said is what cory said to erap. as i recall from what i read, "edsa dos was a big mistake."

what was the mistake in removing a corrupt president from office? what was the mistake of showing outrage at the kind of blatant corruption that goes in his presidency, a conviction of plunder which he still so denies to this day? but more importantly, what is the mistake of the people expressing themselves, going out to the streets to make the administration know that they are no longer taking their crap?

Aquino said that she thought Arroyo to be a better alternative to Estrada, which was why they joined the Edsa 2 rally.

I have news for you, Madame former President: we fought not to put Arroyo in power, but to throw Erap out of Malacanang and his kind of politics. We threw out corruption in Malacanang through Edsa 2, with fervent hope at that time that things will turn out for the better. We knew not then that Arroyo would be just as bad or even worse, but what we did when we took to the streets we were not ashamed of doing, because what we stood for was not simply against the person, but against the very system that runs deep in the heart of our country's governance and politics.

Edsa 1 was fought for democracy. Edsa 2 was fought for good governance. Both virtues of the public have not yet been attained fully by our people, but it was a cry that this was what we wanted, this was what we should strive for.

And I am not sorry at all for Edsa 2, because I am not sorry that this country stood for virtues that our government certainly does not have.