Marcos loyalists dumping President Estrada

Ten days after he visited the Marcoses’ bailiwick in the North, President Estrada lost yesterday the support of Marcos loyalists nationwide who said they felt they were being insulted by the Chief Executive.

"We are pulling out our support for President Estrada," said Cherry Cobarrubias, president of the Marcos Loyalist Foundation National Headquarters and spokeswoman for former First Lady Imelda Marcos. The foundation counts some 3.8 million loyalists nationwide.

"The Marcos loyalists feel insulted every time President Estrada uses the name of the late President (Ferdinand) Marcos" in assuring the people that he will not impose martial law to cling to his post, Cobarrubias said.

She said loyalists felt bad whenever President Estrada issues such a statement, considering that Marcos "never used martial law to prolong his stay in power."

"Remember that in 1972, there was chaos in the streets and the communists were about to take over the country. The late President Marcos had no recourse then but to impose martial law," she said.

"Apparently, President Estrada has no sense of history," Cobarrubias added.

Another Marcos loyalist who requested anonymity told The STAR that they are planning to stage anti-Estrada rallies nationwide.

Cobarrubias said the Marcos loyalists would ask Mrs. Marcos as well as her children Ilocos Norte Gov. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and Ilocos Norte Rep. Imee Marcos to withdraw their support for Mr. Estrada.

The Marcos family is backing the President in his battle in the Senate, where impeachment charges had been filed. His trial starts on Dec. 7.

During a rally in Batac, Ilocos Norte 10 days ago, Mrs. Marcos said Mr. Estrada should be given his day in court and his side must be heard.

The Marcos widow added that she’s praying for the President and for the Filipino people and that she hopes the impeachment trial would be completed soon.

"The problem is very urgent. It affects the economy so we must solve it as fast as we can," she said.

Cobarrubias said they will ask the Senate to speed up the impeachment hearings so that "the political and economic crises would end."

More than five million Marcos loyalists had supported the presidential bid of Mr. Estrada in 1998.

"If there is someone who could remove Mr. Estrada from office, it is the Marcos loyalists because they were the ones who supported him," Cobarrubias said.

She also said that the Marcos loyalists will maintain their "independence" in connection with the call for Mr. Estrada to resign.

Meanwhile, the President said he is ready to testify in the impeachment trial even if his lawyers objected to this.

"If I need to testify, I am ready to testify," he said.

But Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora said they are advising the Chief Executive against appearing in the hearing, considering that the presidency as an institution would be at stake.

"Will this create a precedent that a president of the Philippines can be called at anytime on a serious issue before the Senate or before any legislative body?" Zamora asked.

Mr. Estrada admitted that he had been advised by his lawyer, retired Supreme Court chief justice Andres Narvasa, not to issue any statement regarding the bribery scandal while the Senate prepares for the impeachment trial.

"But the people thought that because I was silent, there must be some truth to these allegations," he said. "In the end, I cannot take it anymore so I answered (back at Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson)."

The Chief Executive said he will abide by what his lawyers will advise him.

"I will still defer to whatever advise that my lawyers will tell me, especially now that we must all be quiet about this and let the trial proceed," he said.

Mr. Estrada expressed hopes that his political opponents and his supporters would discontinue their respective rallies, which are apparently aimed at putting pressure on the senators who will act as jurors during the trial.

The President has also tapped the services of former Manila city fiscal Jose Flaminiano to be part of the defense team.– With Marichu Villanueva, Teddy Molina