Ms. Ric
8 Jan 2006

The execution “of a two-decade dictator with hundreds if not thousands of victims” has Rev. Oscar V. Cruz asking some questions. Let me try and address them sanely.

Question One: How can the killing of but one life be equal to the waste of many other lives? Can one person be really equal to hundreds of other persons? This dictator still had hundreds if not thousands of followers willing to give up their lives for him. And when they did, they didn’t do it quietly, or without taking innocent lives. No, his one life will never be equal to the thousands of lives he took and the few more he would have taken because of his existence. If by executing this one life saves one innocent life, then yes, it’s worth it.

Question Two: Is it right to say that one person with many medals and recognitions, with an exalted office and much wealth should be considered equivalent to more than two, one hundred, several hundreds of other lowly individuals? It is because of these medals, these recognitions, this wealth of this one man that the tens of thousands lowly individuals are thanking their God that he was executed rather than having him sit in jail and run the risk of buying his way out.

Question Three: if the objective truth is that one person is equal to but also one person, how will the many other dead persons get their justice – if not vengeance and revenge? It is up to the law to tell the survivors of these many dead persons confronted with such butchery that the society, the communities take their loss with utmost seriousness. That they may cry for retribution. That they may ache to strangle the murderer with their bare hands. That they have the right to feel this way. But it is not for them to inflict punishment. Society is to do it. Fairly. After due process. In a court of law.

Yes, let’s think about death penalty. Let’s also remember that recidivism rate for capital punishment is zero. No executed murderer has ever killed again. You can’t say that about those sentenced to prison.

Brando Garcia
8 Jan 2006

I don’t understand why business people keep investing on malls whereas our state is already congested with malls. It looks like there are only 2 places where to invest your money, mall and restaurant. What happened to electronics, food processing plant… etc? Small fish are being eaten by Big fish… Giant fish…

Please no more malls as investment or restaurant.

Edwin
8 Jan 2006

Although it was long in coming, I whole-heartedly applaud your decision to exclude the e-mail addresses of writers to the Forum. As I, and others, have shown it is very easy to obtain and sometimes save information on the writers using the simple tools of modern technology.

Also, instead of constantly berating what’s wrong with the Philippines, we should focus on the positive and find ways to make it even better. I look forward to my frequent return to Pangasinan and relish every improvement I see being made for the people.

Incidentally, I have no blood relative in the Philippines. I am half white, half Pinoy. I left the Philippines at the end of WW2 when I was 5 yrs. old and did not return until my hitch in the navy 14 years later. Later as a civilian I was fortunate enough to travel through out the world. So I know of what I speak of when I say focus on the good. There are many things worse elsewhere.