Reclusión Perpetua

...that's the punishment given by the anti-graft court against the former president of the republic because he's guilt had been proven beyond reasonable doubt.

I've been monitoring the news the whole day - of course, it started with the live feed from the court room while the promulgation was being read. I've seen the myriad of reactions, most of them were saddened and even crying for their fallen hero. When I heard the phrase "guilty beyond reasonable doubt" I was expecting people to clap or at least have an obvious reaction tantamount to expression of savage triumph. But a deafening silence followed. Did the verdict surprise them so much that they went silent or they're already expecting it? Or they also felt (which I felt) that the world was never the same after that few minutes of reading?

Much more, people who are "close" to accused are saying that he can't do such a thing because they know him or they believe him. After six years of hearing countless testimonies and hurdling through vast papertrails of kickbacks and payolas how could the judges go wrong with their conviction? The evidence must have been damning convincing enough (more to say obvious) to point the truth, if not how could they vote unanimously on the case.

One thing's for sure that happened today. It's not Erap vs. Gloria nor rich vs. poor, but it's the triumph of justice against wrong doing and abuse.