Estrada squares off with Ebdane

 MANILA, Philippines - Ousted President Joseph Estrada squared off yesterday with presidential hopeful and former public works chief Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. on issues of insurgency and corruption – minus his trademark humor.

At a forum at the Manila Hotel, Estrada appeared combative and even implicitly linked Ebdane to corruption in the Arroyo administration.

The 72-year-old former president said officials become corrupt if their leaders are corrupt, apparently referring to President Arroyo who is involved in several corruption scandals, together with some of her past and present officials.

When it was his turn to speak, Ebdane said that “nobody has the moral ascendancy to say that he is clean” and that even those in the private sector have their own share of faults. He said the problem on corruption could not be solved overnight.

Ebdane emphasized that he had no quarrel with the former leader. “Even if I was placed on floating status for the first 18 months when Estrada was president, I did not take it to heart. In fact, I even called him ‘sir,’” Ebdane said.

“I don’t take it personally. When you enter politics, you accept that it is dirty. It is part of the game,” he added.

Ebdane had been identified with former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., who lost to Estrada in the 1998 elections.

Ebdane, who was also chief of the Philippine National Police, said he wanted to comment on the insurgency situation but chose to keep his opinion to himself because he did not want to offend other people.

Ebdane said he believes the insurgency problem is a political problem that needs a political solution.

He said his concept of an “all out war” means marshalling enough government resources in solving the problem politically and militarily.

Anti-insurgency efforts, he added, should involve other agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

He stressed the need for the government to acquire more warships and aircraft as well as professionalize the PNP.

He said despite potshots from Estrada, he was grateful for being invited to the forum.

“I was actually looking forward to meeting the other presidentiables,” he said.            – Jose Rodel Clapano