my two-cents' worth.

I'm always a victim of random thoughts. Who isn't?

My only problem is that whenever these random thoughts strike, I am almost always unable to put them on paper. And when I'm ready to write them down, chances are, I have already forgotten what it's all about.

So shoot me. I hate it when that happens. I hate the fact that most of the time, the things that I forget to write about are worth writing. Oh well.

It's too late to dwell in the past.

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The Internet is swamped with news about the release of Hubert Webb and the other guys accused of committing the Vizconde Massacre.

Don't get me wrong, but I don't see anything wrong with the reversal of the decision. I am not a law expert, but from a layman's point of view, I think it's just right to free them especially if the evidence presented is not very strong. That's just me.

While it's true that our justice system is not very credible, I think we should also give the justices some credit for realizing that we cannot hold these people in jail forever if almost all of the evidence presented by the prosecution is not enough to prove the accused party's guilt.

In an article from the Philippine Star the Supreme Court states that --

"In our criminal justice system, what is important is, not whether the court entertains doubts about the innocence of the accused since an open mind is willing to explore all possibilities, but whether it entertains a reasonable, lingering doubt as to his guilt. For, it would be a serious mistake to send an innocent man to jail where such kind of doubt hangs on to one's inner being, like a piece of meat lodged immovable between teeth," the SC stressed. 

I am happy that they are finally given the freedom (that I think) they deserve. It's just sad that the Vizcondes still think that the Supreme Court justices were paid.

An excerpt from the Inquirer article:

“They should remember that God’s wrath extends until the fourth generation. That’s what the priests told me,” she said, seemingly to console herself.

“Here, it’s all about money. I fear for what’s going to happen to us Filipinos in the hands of these corrupt justices. They can no longer be called honorable. They are all dishonorable. For money they can ignore the call for justice,” he said. 

I just don't understand how someone can say something like that. I know for a fact that they earnestly prayed for justice but hey, God can't always say "Yes" to our prayers. Maybe the acquittal of Hubert Webb, et. al. is God's way of saying that we have convicted the wrong person.

And I think that if the defendants' families really paid millions to get these guys out of jail, shouldn't they have done so long ago? I mean, why wait, what, 20 freakin' years? Why let your son rot in jail if you'll bribe anyway?

That's just a thought.

Oh man, all I can say is... What a twisted world we have.