Neil
Former first lady Imelda Marcos trended online when netizens recall the special treatment given to her as an old grandma was arrested in Makati City for shoplifting.
In 2018, the widow of former President Ferdinand Marcos was exempted by the national police due to her age and health. No arrests were made even though Sandiganbayan found Marcos guilty for seven counts of graft after establishing Swiss foundations for personal gain.
She was sentenced to a minimum of 6 years and one month to a maximum of 11 years for each case. So, her total imprisonment time is a minimum of 42 years and 7 months and a maximum of 77 years.
Dir. Gen. Oscar Albayalde, PNP chief at that time, said that they put into consideration the health and age of Marcos, which is a standard practice in their book.
“We have to take into consideration the age, in any arrest or anybody for that matter, that has to be taken into consideration, the health, the age,” Albayalde said.
Recently, a 60-year-old grandmother was arrested for shoplifting 5 cans of canned meat, 13 chocolate bars, and 3 bottles of body spray worth a toral of ₱2,577, from a convenience store in Bel-Air, Makati City.
This arrest went viral and caused netizens to remember that after her conviction, Imelda hasn’t been jailed. They realized the justice system is really unfair in the country.
https://twitter.com/Sebasti_rudas/status/1289088201362034688?s=20
https://twitter.com/yenilini/status/1288873152337018886?s=20
https://twitter.com/BhoxzcKenneth/status/1288773353537327104?s=20
“When the poor shoplift, they are criminals, when politicians steal billions, they are called honorable.” said a netizen.
Every time a lolo/lola gets arrested, remember Imelda and all these old kleptocrats and the scale of their respective loots. https://t.co/PxfFuDQ6Av pic.twitter.com/yPFf06baTP
— Bumble Roco 🍉 (@rupertnotholmes) July 30, 2020
hurts my heart how little people are getting arrested for being HUNGRY and the big people who STEALS MILLIONS infront of our eyes. so much for justice. https://t.co/DtA5RGhx6m
— lia ⁺˳✧༚ (@lostboychae) July 30, 2020
https://twitter.com/nicadumpieie/status/1288711428262645761?s=20
https://twitter.com/dat_morenokid/status/1288680201409441793?s=20
ang heartbreaking. And they have the gall to tell us na may fair ang batas sa lahat? #imeldaIiselda https://t.co/qmECVztTks
— Hustles for Christ (@mikonsepto) July 30, 2020
this is so sad, see how justice works differently from those in power and those in poverty? imelda marcos was not imprisoned because she was given compassion for her ‘old age’ meanwhile people whose last resort is to commit crimes to feed their families are immediately locked up. https://t.co/sU72VK9YjB
— kylie ☆ (@bernadettekylee) July 30, 2020
Due to the loss of livelihood brought by the pandemic, a lot of people are suffering from famine. Because of that, many people resort to stealing or other criminal acts just to feed their hungry family.
Meanwhile, Imelda and his husband Ferdinand Marcos are famous for holding the Guinness World Record Greatest Robbery of a Government. Yet Imelda is still enjoying liberty and their children still hold positions in the government.
