how korina sanchez ever got her reputation as one of the country's top "journalists" i will never understand. i think it bodes really really bad for the country that people listen to her everyday. and the possibility that she will be the soon-to-be frist lady is just downright terrifying to me.
i love listening to the news in the mornings but hearing her and her know-it-all tone mouthing off stupidities just makes me want to scratch my eyes out and shave my head while sitting in traffic. i mean i don't understand how she can get away with being soooooo stupid.
several weeks ago, they were discussing the Lintang Bedol issue, and they interviewed COMELEC Chair Ben Abalos. Here's the gist of the interview:
Ted Failon: Sir, usap-usapan po ngayon na Lintang Bedol seems to be getting away with just a slap on the hand. Bakit po 6-month suspension lang ang penalty niya?
Ben Abalos: The 6-month preventive suspension is not yet the penalty. The administrative case is still being investigated and in such cases the law allows that the person being investigated be preventively suspended, para din hindi niya ma-influence yung investigation. At sa batas, hanggang 6-months lang ang preventive suspension. Now, after the investigation is finished, at makapagsampa na ng kaso against Lintang Bedol at ma-prove na guilty siya, that's when she will be meted out her penalty.
Ted Failon: What about the fine that was imposed on Lintang Bedol?
Ben Abalos: That fine was just for the Contempt issue. We declared her in contempt because of her refusal to appear before the investigators.
So after the interview, which to me seemed pretty clear, here's what Korina said:
(In Nora Aunor's "walang himala" tone) Nasaan ang katarungan? Nasaan ang hustisya? Malinaw na malinaw na hindi sapat ang kaparusahang ipinataw kay Lintang Bedol! Taong-bayan, nasaan ang himala? Iyan ang himala!
Did she not listen to Ben Abalos's explanation at all??? It was not even a political answer that they can choose not to accept! It was a straight-forward legal explanation regarding Lintang Bedol's suspension and fine! But no, Korina Sanchez chose to NOT hear that.
Stupid.
Now, just this morning, she got to me again. They were discussing the pardon offer to Erap. One of the main issues raised was that Erap has said over the past weeks - before and after his conviction - that he will not accept a pardon because that would be tantamount to admitting his guilt and accepting that GMA is the legitimate president of the Philippines. Now the news says that Erap is already willing to accept an unconditional pardon. So of course, people are asking, is he now willing to withdraw his appeal and admit his guilt (which are prerequisites to accepting a pardon)? Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago already explained the day before that an unconditional pardon does not erase the guilt of the pardoned, because precisely, it is premised on the convict's acceptance of his guilt. Dean Amado Valdez of the UE College of Law was interviewed in the program immediately prior to Ted and Korina's show, and he explained that a pardon can only be granted to a person who has been convicted and whose conviction has already become final and executory, meaning that no appeals are pending and that if such person has previously filed an appeal, he must first withdraw his appeal and accept the finality of his conviction before he can be pardoned. That was pretty clear to me. But when Ted Failon raised that issue, I could not believe what our famous kaibigan, kabalitaan, at kakampi said:
"E marami namang naco-convict ng walang kasalanan di ba? So of course Erap can continue to claim that he is innocent. Hindi naman niya tatanggapin na guilty siya kahit tanggapin niya iyong pardon."
Huh? How could she still say that? Why is she on primetime news when she does not even do her homework? Did she not even read about what pardon means? Did she not listen - listen na lang! - to Dean Valdez's explanation? Where does she get off commanding public opinion when she herself is not even informed?!
Hay. Stupid.
