Estrada's eldest son ambushed, unhurt

SASMUAN, Pampanga -- Heavily armed men ambushed the eldest son of President Estrada while he was crossing the Pampanga River in a motorboat here yesterday afternoon but he survived unscathed.

Central Luzon police director Chief Superintendent Roberto Calinisan said Joel "Jojo" Ejercito, 39, survived the ambush try by suspected communist guerrillas, but a companion died of gunshot wounds while another suffered injuries.

The fatality was identified as Vicente Rodriguez, a radio reporter, while a certain Ana suffered fractures after jumping from the boat when the gunmen opened fire.

Ejercito is the President's son with the former Peachy Osorio, the daughter of a movie director, when he was still a young actor.

Calinisan said that Sasmuan Mayor Catalina Bagasina had invited Ejercito to visit Macabebe after attending a speaking engagement in this town.

Near Barangay Malusac, Armalite-wielding men positioned on the riverbank fired at the six motorboats bearing Ejercito and his companions including Bagasina.

Local policemen accompanying the mayor returned fire even as their motorboats sped towards Macabebe. The injured Ana was immediately fished out after falling into the river.

The President's son was escorted back to Manila last night by members of the Presidential Security Group.

Additional reports reaching Camp Olivas in San Fernando quoted Senior Superintendent Manuel Chica, head of the Sasmuan police, as saying that an undetermined number of men believed to be New People's Army rebels attacked a banca carrying Ejercito at about 4:45 p.m. yesterday.

Chica claimed he was escorting Ejercito who was in Sasmuan for still unknown reasons. Many believe the President's son was in town to visit the newly installed Bagasina, who recently assumed office after her election protest was upheld.

Bagasina belongs to the President's Lapian ng Malayang Pilipino political party. The town is about 80 kilometers north of Manila.

The alleged ambush came at the heels of separate bomb attacks in shopping malls in Metro Manila.

Several opposition leaders said they were seeing similarities between recent events and the rash of bombings in the metropolis that preceded the declaration of martial law in 1972 by then dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Then Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile also figured in an ambush weeks before martial rule was imposed. The attack was also blamed on communist guerrillas. After Marcos was deposed in 1986, Enrile admitted that the ambush was stage-managed to justify the imposition of martial law. He said he was not even in his car when the supposed "ambush" was staged.

President Estrada, however, has made clear that he would not dare resort to martial rule to preserve peace and order in the country.

Mr. Estrada was not immediately available for comment on his son's reported ambush as he was in Bacolod City but many believe he has already been informed. --By Ric Sapnu and Ding Cervantes,