Justice systems in contrast

Park: From presidential palace to prison cell” (News, 4/1/17) tells us how serious South Koreans are about their justice system. They have no problem treating like garbage a corrupt former president who, for a while, lived like a queen in a palace. The only “privilege” granted her in jail is a little room and toilet/shower facilities in an adjoining room.

This shows how laughable our justice system in this country really is.

In this crazy country of ours, a president indicted for worse acts and practices of corruption gets a well-appointed estate all to himself as his place of confinement (Joseph Estrada) or a well-furnished, air-conditioned hospital room all to herself (Gloria Arroyo). By any stretch of logic or imagination, theirs was “special treatment” on account of social/political status.

How our judicial system ever found the moxie to justify that blatant discrimination against ordinary mortals in detention—for even much lesser offenses—is beyond us. Well… not really: It is a fact of life in these islands that when important people are the ones in the dock, Lady Justice takes off her blindfold and winks.

REY C. ESCOBAR, [email protected]