Presidential clemency for Imelda Marcos likely, labor alleges

By Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino
November 9, 2018

QUEZON CITY – Militant labor Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) today welcomed the decision of the Sandiganbayan who has found incumbent Ilocos Norte representative Imelda Marcos guilty beyond reasonable doubt of seven counts of graft and corrupt practices, but the group also advised the people “to enjoy it while it lasts” as they allege that she will be pardoned by Malacanang.

The group says that the Sandiganbayan decision is “an early Christmas gift” as a bleak yuletide season is foreseen as the cost of living surges due to runaway inflation.

“The verdict elicits jubilation, a long standing prayer of the people has been answered but then again it would be safe to say that with the Duterte’s administration’s close affinity with the Marcoses, Imelda will be pardoned unconditionally,” predicted Ka Leody de Guzman, chairperson of BMP.

He adds that given the many presidential pronouncements and decisions that have favored the Marcos family, “the propensity of this administration is to pardon her at the soonest possible time and will cite old age as a reason for the clemency”.

The labor leader says it well may be regarded as certain that the president will waste no time to free the wife of the former dictator whom he considers his idol and the mother of his “preferred successor”, Bongbong Marcos.

“It is also most certain that Imelda will not be slapped,” De Guzman said in reference to the President’s recent statement that local and foreign businessmen will be given the opportunity to slap corrupt officials a dozen times in front of him.

Duterte is the only president that allowed Marcos to be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani in 2016, reaping a whirlwind of protests, mostly from millennials.

De Guzman warned that any maneuver from Malacanang to liberate the controversial and ostentatious former First Lady from serving time will be met with indignant action in the streets as well as a deafening protest vote for candidates the President will endorse in next year’s mid-term elections.

“Sasalubungin ng protesta’t welga ang hakbang ng Palasyo para palayain ang nagpahirap at nagpakasasa sa yaman ng bansa,” declared De Guzman, a veteran of the anti-dictatorship struggle after the assassination of Ninoy Aquino in 1983.

He adds that the labor movement has its own share of martyrs who suffered heavily under the Marcos regime. “Hindi namin papayagan na yurakan ang ala-ala ng aming mga martir na nag-alay ng buhay para panagutin ang mag-asawang Marcos”.

Past leader of BMP Ka Romy Castillo was incarcerated and brutally tortured during the later years of the dictatorship. Another towering figure of the labor movement, Ka Popoy Lagman lost his first wife and elder brother to Marcos’ state agents.