The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) scored President Estrada for retaining Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora despite the latter's admission of responsibility for the grant of executive clemency to convicted priest-killer Norberto Manero Jr.
This developed as clamor mounted for the ouster or resignation of Zamora over the Manero fiasco.
In another development, President Estrada gave assurance that Zamora is not yet off the hook in the Manero controversy pending outcome of an inquiry by a three-member fact-finding body into the case.
CBCP president Archbishop Orlando Quevedo chided the President for firing Justice Secretary Serafin Cuevas - who had nothing to do with the grant of conditional pardon to Manero - and outrightly condoning Zamora who had owned up "command responsibility" over the case.
"This may not be the right direction the government should be taking. I share that sentiment (of Cuevas)," Quevedo told reporters in an interview at the CBCP headquarters in Intramuros.
Citing Sen. Renato Cayetano's comment, Quevedo said the conditional pardon to Manero should be abrogated and that the convict should be re-committed to the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City.
He lamented that some presidential aides who resigned irrevocably or were terminated by the President were "very competent and honest."
"I think of Karina David (of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council), Finance Secretary Edgardo Espiritu and Cuevas," Quevedo said.
He noted that if the President believed Cuevas was the culprit, then he should also fire everybody who has been at fault.
He warned that failing to do this would send the wrong signal that he has been selective in meting out punishment to his erring subordinates.
Quevedo also hinted at unequitable application of justice in the Tullio Favali case, saying while Manero was the most guilty among the convicted killers of the Italian priest, he was the first to be set free. On the other hand, his co-accused who had minor participation in the murder were still languishing in jail.
Quevedo suggested that the Board of Pardons and Parole (BPP) may have committed a mistake in recommending pardon for Manero.
The CBCP president pointed out that Manero could not yet be forgiven for the Favali slaying since the convict has not exhibited any signs of repentance, or desire to reform.
Quevedo noted that in all the years Manero spent in jail, not once did he approach any Church official or any representative of his victim's family to ask for forgiveness.
Meanwhile, nearly 300 Catholic leaders from Mindanao, among them archbishops and bishops, signed a manifesto asking Mr. Estrada to scrap the conditional pardon to Manero and remand him to the custody of the state prison.
In an open appeal to the President, the prelates said the Favali killers should not be released considering the gravity of their crime.
"The crime they committed remains most horrifying and despicable," the letter stated, adding that Manero himself had admitted having killed some 200 people while still an active militiaman in Tulunan town in North Cotabato.
The churchmen also warned that Manero could still revive his dreaded group and inflict harm on the people.
They also claimed that the signatures of priests in the documents pertaining to the grant of the controversial executive clemency were forged.
Opposition lawmakers reiterated their call on President Estrada to cancel the conditional pardon he granted to the convicted priest-killer and cannibal.
Bukidnon Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri and Malabon-Navotas Rep. Federico Sandoval II made the call in the wake of admission by some Malacañang officials that the grant of executive clemency to the killer of Favali in 1985 was marked by irregularities.
Sen. Renato Cayetano, chairman of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, said it is now incumbent upon Zamora to personally ask the President to recall the pardon.
"A conditional pardon is not written in stone if it was acquired through fraudulent means," Zubiri said.
He added that since Manero's pardon was apparently made through misrepresentation, it is but logical that the President should revoke it.
Sandoval noted that a syndicate at the Palace was apparently responsible for the grant of parole to Manero.
He said Mr. Estrada would be condoning the misdeeds of his men and legitimize misrepresentation if he were not to recall Manero's pardon.
He described Manero as "far from an exemplary inmate" and should not have been pardoned since the prisoner once escaped from prison.
"The President has already said he did not intend to pardon Manero. In law, lack of intent nullifies the grant of pardon and so, it should be nullified," Cayetano explained.
Other senators who demanded the recall of the pardon were Teofisto Guingona Jr., Raul Roco and Miriam Defensor-Santiago.
"If the President has no intention to pardon (Manero), then the pardon must be recalled. Napalusutan lang ang presidente (They pulled a fast one on the President)," Roco noted.
Santiago said Cayetano's committee should pursue its inquiry and determine if Manero had violated the conditions for his pardon.
Santiago also said the acceptance of Cuevas' resignation and the rejection of Zamora's offer to quit sent mixed signals to the people.
Senate President Pro Tempore John Osmeña said, however, the firing and hiring of Cabinet secretaries remained a presidential prerogative, and Congress could not intervene in it.
For his part, party-list Rep. Renato Magtubo urged Mr. Estrada to fire Zamora for orchestrating Manero's release from the national penitentiary.
"Erap (Mr. Estrada) should make true his promise and warning that in his administration, there would be no friends and relatives," Magtubo stressed.
He said Zamora had disgraced the President by sending him a pardon list without telling him that the name of a "ruthless criminal" was included.
Accepting "command responsibility" for the controversial pardon to Manero, Zamora offered to step down voluntarily last Tuesday. But only hours later, the President rejected the offer.
Negros Occidental Rep. Jose Apolinario Lozada Jr., also an oppositionist, appealed to Zamora to resign out of delicadeza.
Lozada said it would be wrong for Zamora to think that the President's decision to retain him would end clamor for his head. "It would only add fuel to the fire," Lozada stressed.
"Secretary Zamora knew all along that his office hand-picked Manero for conditional pardon last December and yet he allowed Mr. Estrada, who was unaware of the priest killer's inclusion (in the list of prisoners to be pardoned), to take the beating. If he really wanted to assume full responsibility, he should not have merely offered to resign, but tendered an irrevocable resignation," Lozada said in a statement.
Citing the executive secretary's propensity to pre-empt the President and take action without informing his boss, Lozada warned that as long as Zamora is with the Cabinet, people can expect more embarrassments for Mr. Estrada.
While the President stressed that those guilty should resign or be prosecuted, he commended Zamora for offering to step down for the mistake committed by the secretary's subordinates.
Mr. Estrada also directed the legal office of the executive secretary to conduct an internal audit to pinpoint responsibility for the Manero pardon and prevent a recurrence of the incident.
Mr. Estrada also said he rejected Zamora's offer to quit because he believed that the secretary was clean in the Manero fiasco.
"But I will have this investigated and whoever is guilty, I will tell them to resign," Mr. Estrada added.
For his part, Zamora said he has placed himself at the disposal of the President.
"If there is need for further disciplinary action among members of our staff, then we will impose that. If there is need to change procedures at the Office of the President, then we will do that, too," Zamora said.
He added that he was not satisfied with the explanations given by his men "so we are conducting a formal investigation on this."
Zamora also claimed that the irregularity has been going on in his office "for a long time." -- With Jess Diaz, Efren Danao, Marichu Villanueva