Where is the justice?

Manila Standard
Wednesday, October 13, 2010Editorial
IT’S been a busy week for the President. Sadly, it has not been time well spent.
First, he finally took action on the Luneta hostage fiasco, three weeks after the investigative panel submitted its detailed report on the botched rescue that killed eight Hong Kong tourists.
As many of us feared he would do, the President spared his friend and shooting buddy, Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno, and pinned most of the blame on Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and four police officers.
His decision came a day after Mr.Puno—who has direct supervision of the police—bragged to the press that, given their long history together, the President would indeed have to think twice before letting him go.
The timing of the President’s announcement seemed to cloak Mr. Puno with extraordinary power and influence. Here was a man who could do no wrong, who could walk away unblemished from a sorry mess in his own backyard.
In watering down the recommendations of the investigative panel, which had called for administrative sanctions against Mr. Puno, the President also demonstrated a lack of confidence in the one person who demonstrated competence throughout this whole sad affair, his own Justice Secretary who led the investigation.
A day later, the President moved to grant amnesty to military rebels who had tried to overthrow his predecessor, in the mistaken notion that any enemy of the previous administration is a friend. Sometimes, they are simply arrogant enemies of the state who are eager to grab power by using armed force. That they wrap themselves in the flag of patriotism and proclaim themselves heroes should offend all who uphold democratic principles, regardless of party. That the President should now say what they did was all right is repugnant, particularly since the leader of the mutinous soldiers had supported him during the last campaign.
In two short days, the President proved there is no impartial justice in his administration after all. There is a vengeful justice against all who were connected with the previous administration, and a gentler, kinder “justice” for friends and allies. How is that taking the moral high ground?