Erap forgives Ping for attacks

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines - Former President Joseph Estrada declared here yesterday that he has already forgiven Sen. Panfilo Lacson for his “vicious” allegations and attacks.

Estrada said he would continue to forgive Lacson despite the “viciousness of the black propaganda and smear campaign” of the senator.

“My forgiveness for these people is continuing,” Estrada said in a statement.

Estrada said at a gathering here in his fourth Lakbay Pasasalamat in the province that the allegations hurled by Lacson even gained him sympathy from the people.

He said the people are becoming more aware of the issues and believe the attacks against him by Lacson are politically motivated.

“People are giving more sympathy to me because what Lacson is saying are all lies and the people know what his track record is,” Estrada said.

Lacson, for his part, thanked Estrada but stressed he was not asking for forgiveness from the former president.

“I believe I am doing our country a great service by telling our people what kind of a president he was,” Lacson said.

“He is essentially good and charismatic as a person. I have no doubt about that. But he should leave leading the country to someone better than him. Our country deserves it,” he added.

Lacson, who served as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) under Estrada’s administration, revealed in a two-part privilege speech at the Senate the “bad side” of his former boss, alleging the former president was behind the November 2000 murder of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and driver Emmanuel Corbito, among other crimes.

Lacson also claimed Estrada was involved in illegal gambling, smuggling and forcing a businessman to sell his shares in a the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.

He also suggested the former president was behind the disappearance of Edgardo Bentain, the casino employee who reportedly took a video of then vice president Estrada gambling with his friend Charlie “Atong” Ang.

Those allegations prompted the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to create a task force to reinvestigate the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Bentain in 1998.

NBI intelligence services chief Ruel Lasala said they would do a “backtracking” of the case to determine who should be implicated in the disappearance of Bentain.

Estrada denied the allegations and questioned the motive and timing of Lacson in making the privilege speeches attacking his credibility.

“The people see that, they can’t reveal anything except to destroy us. Why only now, what is his motive, that is the question,” he said.

Estrada said he is used to being attacked as the people continue to love him and he fears nothing.

“We cannot fool the people so as far as I am concerned I don’t mind it (Lacson’s attacks), especially when Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile delivered his privilege speech in my defense that made many people, especially my wife (former) senator Loi (Ejercito) cry,” he said.  

Estrada said his son Sen. Jinggoy Estrada would no longer answer Lacson’s allegations so as not to bother the Senate.

Administration lawmakers, on the other hand, urged Lacson and the younger Estrada to spare Malacañang in their exchange of tirades.

“The Palace is not worth mentioning in these charges and counter-charges because it has no involvement at all in their row,” Cebu Rep. Antonio Cuenco said.

Camiguin Rep. Pedro Romualdo, for his part, said it was completely irrelevant to include Malacañang in the Estrada-Lacson word war.

“Dragging the Palace into the picture may only muddle the issues concerning the two of them. We hope they can soon settle these matters between them,” he said.

The former president suggested the only reason why Lacson suddenly came out with guns ablaze was to derail his presidential bid.

Lacson earlier chided Estrada for running for the presidency anew, citing the constitutional prohibition against former presidents seeking the same political office.

Estrada though expressed confidence that all constitutional questions against him would be resolved.

Estrada cited the opinions of several legal luminaries who said the constitutional prohibition does not apply to him.

Estrada, who was here for his fourth Lakbay Pasasalamat in Pangasinan, told local newsmen that he is 99.9 percent sure of running in 2010.

Among the reasons, Estrada said, was the apparent failure of the opposition to unite and support a single candidate.

He said Senators Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III of the Liberal Party (LP), Manny Villar of the Nacionalista Party, Chiz Escudero and Loren Legarda of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) have separately declared their bids in the presidential elections next year.

“So right now, it looks like there’s no more chance (for the opposition to unite). So I might as well run, (I’m) 99.9 percent sure,” he said, adding that he will announce his running mate once he officially declares his presidential bid before the deadline on Nov. 30.

Legal issues

Estrada’s lawyers led by Pacifico Agabin also argued against several legal luminaries on the question of former presidents seeking reelection.

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal pointed out the provision in the 1987 Constitution expressly prohibiting former presidents to seek reelection, and argued the constitutional prohibition applies to Estrada who was elected president in 1998.

Agabin, former dean of the University of the Philippines-College of Law, said Estrada could still seek reelection, pointing to the provision in the Constitution implying the prohibition only refers to the incumbent president.

Since Estrada was not able to finish his term after he was ousted in 2001, the provision does not apply to him as the incumbent president, Agabin said.

Macalintal, however, argued the term President used in the Constitution applies to all elected presidents, whether former or incumbent.

Macalintal said the intention of the framers of the 1987 Constitution was to prevent former or incumbent presidents from seeking reelection.

He said Estrada couldn’t use the argument that he was not able to finish his term of office, citing the Supreme Court ruling on March 2, 2001.

“In that case, (Estrada) argued that he was only ‘on leave’ when he left Malacañang Palace on Jan. 20, 2001 and that then Vice President Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo was merely ‘acting President’. The said decision which was penned by then Associate Justice, now Chief Justice Reynato Puno, dismissed the said petition of Estrada and recognized President Arroyo as the de jure President after Estrada’s aforesaid voluntary resignation,” Macalintal said in an argument with Agabin in a forum held at Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan.

Macalintal also cited the opinion of the original framers of the 1987 Constitution, including Fr. Joaquin Bernas, former elections chief Christian Monsod and Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, who all believe Estrada is no longer qualified.

Macalintal added that Estrada couldn’t rely on the so-called will of the people principle because the voice of the people on their choice of who would be president is within the provision of the 1987 Constitution.

Even after his civil and political rights were restored after being pardoned for his plunder conviction, Estrada cannot use this argument against the constitutional prohibition since he was elected president in 1998.

But Estrada is allowed to seek other positions under the pardon granted to him by President Arroyo, he said.

Only by succession

Macalintal said the only possible exception to Estrada’s still assuming the presidency is through succession.

“If (Estrada) runs for vice president and wins and something happens to the elected president, then he can be president again. This time, not by virtue of an election, but by reason of succession as provided by the same Constitution barring him from running again for president,” Macalintal said.

During his tour in Pangasinan, Estrada also bared his senatorial candidates, among them Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, his son Jinggoy and detained Army general Danilo Lim.

Also included in the senatorial lineup are Jose “Joey” de Venecia III, the primary witness of the Senate in the NBN-ZTE contract scandal, television host and Optical Media Board chairman Edu Manzano, Makati City Rep. Teodoro Locsin and Grace Poe Llamanzares, daughter of the late actor Fernando Poe Jr.

Estrada said the Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) would also adopt Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos and Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Ramon “Bong” Revilla as guest candidates.

The former president also claimed several members of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD would be going over to the PMP.

Even on the possibility that the PMP’s ranks would be boosted by those from the administration, Estrada said he would not rely on the party for his presidential bid.

Since he was elected senator, vice president and president, Estrada stressed he never relied entirely on political parties. He said he would go directly to the people.

Estrada said the people gave him his victory in the 1998 elections when he got the biggest margin ever in a presidential race. - With Aurea Calica, Jose Rodel Clapano, Delon Porcalla, Mayen Jaymalin, Sandy Araneta