Estrada: People Power II a very dangerous precedent

Unceremoniously relieved of the burdens of a head of state, former movie actor and disgraced President Joseph Estrada has not taken refuge in the silver screen but instead wielded a pen to shore up his tarnished image.

Writing for no less than TIME news magazine, Estrada belittled the civilian uprising that ousted him last month for allegedly amassing billions of pesos in unexplained wealth and using the banking system to launder his supposed loot.

"People Power II has set a very dangerous precedent" and "the process of changing duly elected leaders may (now) depend on the mob," Estrada wrote in his first magazine article.

In the article, published in TIME’s Feb. 19 issue which will hit the streets today, Estrada continued to maintain his innocence and expressed hope that history would vindicate him.

"I swear on my father’s grave that never in my entire career in public life have I taken a single centavo of taxpayer’s money," Estrada wrote.

"There was absolutely no government money, no jueteng money, and no dirty money involved," he added, trying to explain how he allegedly amassed billions of pesos and deposited the money in bank accounts under fictitious names.

In the article, Estrada demanded his day in court and vowed to formally "surrender" the presidency to President Arroyo even if he wins the court case.

Estrada is already charged before the Ombudsman with several crimes, including economic plunder, but his lawyers maintain that he cannot be haled to court, citing the presidential immunity provisions of the defunct 1973 martial law Constitution.

Aside from his alleged financial misdeeds, Estrada has also been widely criticized for his womanizing, entertaining known smugglers in late-night drinking sprees at Malacañang and high-stakes gambling on the presidential yacht.

But undeterred by public criticism of such misdeeds, Estrada described the Arroyo administration as a "banana republic."

"What was inaugurated last January 20 was a banana republic and time will vindicate me," he wrote.

Estrada lambasted President Arroyo and accused her of violating the Constitution when she was sworn into office by Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr.

"She invokes the Charter when it is in her favor, but treats it as a minor inconvenience when it gets in the way," Estrada wrote.

Neither was the Supreme Court spared from the vitriol that oozed from Estrada’s pen.

He accused the Supreme Court of starting, instead of arbitrating, a political controversy when it unanimously voted to declare the presidency vacant and paved the way for Mrs. Arroyo’s succession.

Estrada wrote that the SC move constituted a "wanton transgression" of the Constitution.

Ultimately, he writes, "the victim of all these wanton transgressions is... the Filipinos, who depend on the Constitution for the protection of their rights."

Estrada was impeached by the House of Representatives on Nov. 13 on charges of bribery, graft, violation of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.

Filipinos started their uprising against Estrada before midnight of Jan. 16, immediately after the Estrada-controlled Senate voted 11-10 to exclude damning evidence against him in his impeachment trial.

Estrada was forced to leave Malacañang on Jan. 20, a day after the military and police establishments shifted their support from him to his constitutional successor.