“At last it is over,”
League of Municipalities Leyte Chapter President
and Tanauan Mayor Roque Tiu sighed as if with
relief.
The Erap plunder case was highly
divisive. The Filipino people must respect the
decision of the Court and put a closure on the
case, Mayor Tiu informed the local media.
It is about time every Filipino
buckles down to work so that the country could
continue moving towards economic progress and
peace, the LMP-Leyte president said. The country
has already gone far under the able leadership
of President Arroyo. It is a pity if the country
will backslide into being the perennial sick
man of Asia because of political bickering,
he added.
The Sandigan Bayan ruling showed
how credible the Philippine judiciary is and
that the rule of law prevails in this country.
This also earned for the judiciary, the respect
of many people both here and abroad.
For sure, the September 12 promulgation
of judgment on the Erap plunder case, has increased
investors’ confidence in the country,
Mayor Tiu quipped.
For a moment, life in the City
went on a standstill in the midmorning of September
12 as people in the homes and offices were glued
to the television sets eager to hear the verdict.
This is a good sign, Mayor Tiu said. It is good
to observe that the Filipino people are interested
in what is going on in the country.
The peaceful atmosphere in the
Region on September 12 is a manifestation that
the people in Eastern Visayas abide by the decision
of the Court.
For one thing, not a single
rally was staged, nor was there a single application
for rally permit filed.
For as long as the people believes
in democracy and respect the rule of law, there
is that great hope that the Philippines is off
to becoming a first world country.
