On Estrada position on Gloria ouster

In a phone interview, Sen. Richard Gordon said that with Ms Arroyo “virtually co-opting” Estrada, her anti-pardon allies would likely coalesce with civil society groups.

“It’s going to be a fight between traditional politicians and upright groups who are against this kind of transactional politics,” said Gordon, who insisted that he was independent despite taking pro-administration lines in the past few years.

http://services.inquirer.net/print/print.php?article_id=97605

Estrada position baffles opposition

We want to know his plans, says Binay
By Jocelyn Uy

Inquirer
October 30, 2007

Tanscript of interview re ERAP PARDON

Transcript of Sen GORDON’S presscon
26 October 2007
Senate Press Room

INTERVIEWER: Sir, reaction sa Erap pardon?

SEN GORDON: Nakakalungkot. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang pakiramdam ko. I am revolted by the whole scenario. Talagang may pardon power ang presidente pero itong pagkakataong ito ay ngayon lang tayo nakahuli ng isang pinakamataas na tao sa bansa at talagang malinaw na convicted siya ng tatlong mahistrado. Hindi pa nga nakapasok sa selda eh preso cavaliero all the way. Mayroon siyang tv doon, nakapaglilwaliw siya doon at mayroon siyang golf cart. Hindi parusa yun. Hindi napunish. I’m not asking for punishment because I don’t like him, I am revolted because the law has been mediocretized or trivialized. Balewala na at ang itinuturo nito sa mga tao natin lalo na sa mga bata ay pwede pa lang magnakaw at kapag malaking tao ka ay pwede nang makaligtas sa mga sintensya na dapat ibigay sa iyong parusa. Nakakalungkot at may balik ito sapagkat lumalabas na dalawang pangulo ang nag-usap dito na pareho seguro silang looking for survival on their own. Yan ang problema natin dito and of course ang mangyayari dito sa banding huli ay pagtatawanan tayo ng buong mundo.

Yung dalawang presidente ng Korea ay umamin at umiyak pa sa harap ng madla. Binigyang ng karampatang kaparusahan na dalawang taon bago pinardon. Ako sana kahit na papaano kahit isang taon lang.

Nakakalungkot yan sapagkat natalo ang tao dito. People are hungry for justice. They were robbed. Hindi sila napagbigyan. They were not given justice.


INTERVIEWER: Pero, can not be challenged yung pardon?

SEN. GORDON: That is why may pananagutan. When you execute a pardon or executive clemency, you are responsible for it. Hindi porke poder mo yan ay pwede mong gawin. Hindi justified yan lalo na’t malinaw dito na talagang hindi nabigyan ng karampatang pagkakataon yun anim na taong pinaghirapan ng gobyerno, pinaghirapan ng mga prosecutor na magbuo ng kaso. Alam naman natin dito na napakahirap mag-prosecute ng isang criminal. Nararamdaman ko ito sapagkat ang tatay ko noong araw, nang mahuili yung pumatay sa kanya kinumute (commute) ni Mr. Marcos yung sentence from death to life. I can feel it at ganuun na naman dito. Parang ang taumbayan ay hindi nabigyan ng pagkakataong magkaroon ng talagang hustisya.


INTERVIEWER: Ang timing, ang sabi nila hindi naman talaga kahapon sdchedule ilabas yun pardon pero inilabas kahapon para matabunan yun ZTE kung saan idinawit ni Joey de Venecia si Pangulong Arroyo?

SEN. GORDON: It doesn’t matter kung ano ang timing. Sa akin mali ang ginawa. Period. At lalong nagiging mali sapagkat pwedeng sabihin nga na yung timing ay tama. Pero hindi dapat isinusukli yung pardon para yung tao ay maiwan na holding the empty bag. Kung ikaw ay mahirap, paano ko sasabihin na mayroon pang pwedeng makulong na malaking tao?


INTERVIEWER: Nagdusa na raw po ng 6 na taon?

SEN. GORDON: Nagdusa naba yun? Si Fujimori, hinuli siya. Dinala siya sa kulungan, sa police camp. Nagdusa din yung mga tao na gustong ipaglaban ang katarungan. Nagdusa din ang tao na nawalan. Ngayon, ubos na pala yung pera doon sa forfeiture, hindi na bale yung pera pero yung prinsipyo natin ang nawawala. This weakens the moral fabric of our country. Hindi ko talaga matanggap dahil sayang ang pagkakataon. Sa Senado ako lang ang nagsasalita laban sa pardon na yan.

You know President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo disgraced her position. Sayang ang pagkakataon ni Presidente Arroyo na ipakita niya na ang legacy niya ay isang legacy ng katarungan. Sayang din ang pagkakataon ni Presidente Estrada na sinasabi niya na hindi niya tatanggapin ang pardon. Bumaligtad. Parang mga politico natin, baligtad ng baligtad sa posisyon.


INTERVIEWER: Political survival kaya nagiging justifiable…?

SEN. GORDON: No. As President, you took an oath to uphold the law. Sure, pardon is your power. Use your power to benefit the people. You do not use your power to make yourself survive.

The presidency is the best gif the people can give. Binigyan si Erap nito ng tao at yung pagtitiwala ng tao. Sinira niya yung tiwala ng tao sa kanya kaya siya naparusahan. Pinaglaban ng 6 na taon yan. Ngayon ang pangulo naman natin (Gloria) ay pinagtiwalaan rin pero tila hindi marunong mag-sukli ng tiwala ang mga lider natin. Yun ang nakakasakit.

Hanggang hindi tayo naninindigan at magkaroon ng pagkakataon na makita ng tao na walang exempted ay wala tayong katarungan sa bayan. This is a game changer. Talagang para akong nawalan ng pag-asa sa katarungan. Tatlong mahistrado iyan at hindi basta mahistrado yan. Pinaghirapan yan. Ano yan, laro lang? Okey na? Eh di palabasin natin lahat yung mga taong nasa kulungan lalo na yung mga maykaya.

INTERVIEWER: Pero, is it not the judgment of history everytime your name is mentioned – Estrada, convicted for plunder?

SEN. GORDON: Wala yan, That is for history but in the meantime, the people are hungry for justice. Gutom ang tao sa katarungan. I call it a game changer because it will perpetuate division in this country because talagang alam ng tao na guilty si Erap.

Ang thinking ko ay talagang fighting for survival sila ni Speaker De Venecia ngayon. Kakampi niya (Gloria) si Erap seguro ngayon. Si Joe De Venecia hahanap ng bagong kakampi.


INTERVIEWER: Pinili niya si Erap over….?

SEN. GORDON: Pinila niya ang mag-survive rather than be right, rather than be just. It’s not even a question of mercy. It’s a question of survival sa kanya. It is a transactional leadership at its purest form.


INTERVIEWER: Sir, nasa survival state po ba si Gloria samantalang…?

SEN. GORDON: Hindi ko maaalis yung perception na yan. Sunod-sunod ang eskandalo kaya iyan ang nangyari. Ang problema we are left without choices kaya wala rin options and mga tao. Kaya dapat matuto na ang tao dito. Hindi natin naisara, nagbukas pa lalo ng malaking gulo. Pagkatapos ng barangay election ay puputok uli ‘yan.


INTERVIEWER: Si Mayor Sanchez pag-umabot 70 pwedeng i-pardon?

SEN. GORDON: Ang totoo yan talaga naman pwedeng i-pardon pag 70 years old. In fairness, mayroon naman yan sa batas para sa pangulo. That is why I am not questioning her right to pardon but I am questioning her responsibility. Hindi niya ginamit yung authority properly. Sundin mo na lang precedent ng ibang bansa gaya ng Korea. Si Tanaka ng Japan, convicted sa lower court, convicted sa appeals, namatay lang sa Supreme court pero iko-convict yan. Si Fujimori hinuli at kinulong. Nakakulong hindi sa bahay niya. Pumunta naman kayo sa Tanay, nakita naman ninyo ang laki ng bakuran. Yun ba’y kulungan? Hindi naman kulungan yan? Bakit yung preso pag kinulong mo may selda. Si Sen. Enrile kinulong sa selda. Si Ninoy kinulong sa selda. Si Rizal kinulong sa selda.

Hindi si Erap ang isyu, it’s justice. Marami tayong pagkukulang pati tao dito nagkulang, bumoboto tayo ng mali. Hindi na tayo natuto.

END

Glorieta Blast - We were one Country at work

Sen. Dick Gordon, chair and CEO of the Philippine National Red Cross, wrote to say that the search-and-rescue efforts at the Glorietta Mall had been the result of good team work. “We were not alone. We acted with our partners, Makati Councilor Junjun Binay and K-9 teams. The Red Cross volunteers and staff from headquarters, as well as local chapters from Rizal, Quezon City, Manila and Valenzuela prioritized search and rescue for those reported missing at ground zero, administered first aid and gave assistance to families in the area, at the hospitals and funeral parlors. . . Ayala Corporation, Makati Medical Center, and Ospital ng Makati personnel should also be commended — Bureau of Fire Protection, fire-fighting volunteers, various NGOs, LGUs, national agencies — DSWD, MMDA, AFP and PNP — were at the scene doing their duty to address the situation and the needs of the victims. All hands were carrying their load. We were one country at work. The spirit of volunteerism was certainly alive that day!”

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Opinion&p=49&type=2&sec=25&aid=2007102472
OpinionPasig Christian Academy
FROM THE STANDS By Domini M. Torrevillas
The Philippine Star
Thursday, October 25, 2007

Red Cross stops search as crew cleans up Glorietta mess

The Philippine National Red Cross on
Sunday stopped its search and retrieval
efforts at Glorietta 2 mall in Makati
City, which exploded Friday afternoon
and claimed the lives of 10 people and
injured over a hundred others.

Senat or Richard Gordon, Red Cross
chairman, said they would give way to
the crew who would clean up the mess
left by the explosion.

“Papasok na lang ngayon ‘yong maglilinis
sa Ayala. Dahan-dahan gagalawin yan.
Malamang titigil na ang retrieval
operati ons (We will virtually stop
retrieval operations today. The cleanup
crew of Ayala Malls will take over, and
will carefully sift through the
rubble)," Gordon said in an interview on
dzXL radio.

At least three more persons remain
missing, after the body of information
techn ology employee Maureen de Leon was
recovered Saturday night, bringing the
death toll to 10.

Gordon said they are considering the
possibility that at least one of the
missing persons was not near Ground Zero
at the time of the blast.

“Mahilig daw siyang mag-malling (From
what we gathered, the person was a mall
rat)," he said, adding the person might
not have been in the area at all.

He said it is now up to Ayala Malls
management to clean up the mess and for
police to go after the perpetrators. -
GMANews.TV

Glorietta death toll rises to 9

NUMBER 9. Norlita Tan is comforted in her grief by a Philippine National Red Cross member and Senator Richard Gordon (head of the Red Cross) after her husband Reinier Tan's body was finally discovered early Saturday morning underneath the rubble of the Glorietta 2 Mall in Makati after an explosion killed nine people. PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/RAFFY LERMA

INQUIRER.net
Last updated 02:40am (Mla time) 10/20/2007


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Hours before the discovery of the body of Rainier Tan at about 11 p.m. Friday, Norlita Tan said she and her husband had parted ways on the ground floor of the mall.

"I had to check out something on the second floor after having lunch with him. My spouse agreed and told me he would just have coffee. When the explosion happened, I was trying to reach him on the cellular phone and all he could say was he was looking for a way out. The line was cut. I tried to call him but there was only ringing on the other end," she said.

She wept at the sight of her husband’s remains being carried out of the rubble by Red Cross rescuers. She was comforted by Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of Philippine National Red Cross.

Gordon said four other persons remain missing, based on inquiries from people still looking for their relatives as of early Saturday morning. He said Red Cross volunteers would continue search and rescue work until the missing persons were accounted for. Among those still missing are Len-Len Tan, Carolina Sibug, and Jay Arguelles.

Blast death toll rises to 9
By LEONARD D. POSTRADO & JOEL C. ATENCIO
Manila Bulletin 21/10/2007