Too many distractions preventing Erap’s choice - GOTCHA by Jarius Bondoc

"How much did the peso trade today?" a jittery businessman asked. His banker replied with a question, "How many congressmen have so far endorsed the impeachment complaint?"

"Let me see," the businessman scratched his head, "they started with 42 last week, then grew to 49 by weekend, but with Allan Cayetano and Jack Enrile also signing up, they’re now...uh-oh." Reality bit him: the peso’s swift dive this week was conversely proportional to the painfully slow drag of Joseph Estrada’s case in Congress. "Don’t tell me the peso has to hit 73 to the dollar before they finally get it moving!" the businessman winced, suddenly remembering the magic number of congressmen – one-third of 219 – needed for the case to elevate to the Senate for trial.

"Oh, but there’s an option," the banker shrugged.

Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in fact spelled it out, albeit apologetically: the only option to arrest economic decline is for Estrada to step down. The problem is political: a confidence crisis. The solution must also be political: resignation.

Former President Cory Aquino also views it as political. But she offers a more graceful exit for Estrada: file a leave of absence. Meaning, admit inability to discharge his duties, or at least feign a sickness, under Article 7, Section 11 of the Constitution.

Ex-President Fidel Ramos, too, sees Estrada himself as the problem. But his variant solution is to ask Estrada’s LAMP majority congressmen to exercise patriotic duty by speeding up impeachment deliberations instead of laying down more and more legalistic delays.

Catholic and Protestant bishops, Muslim ulama and lay leaders also call for resignation. So do defectors and mavericks from LAMP, allies from the Liberal Party, heads of small opposition parties, and thousands of labor, farm, civic, academic and youth leaders. Dominant opposition legislators from Lakas prefer to push for impeachment, confident that growing street marches for resignation will knock conscience into LAMP congressmen to stop dragging the case.

Businessmen, last to weigh in because of their natural conservatism, finally spoke out Thursday. Polled by the influential Makati Business Club, 90 percent of members voted for resignation, six percent for impeachment, four percent for leave of absence. In effect, 100 percent for Estrada to go.

Three weeks of shocking Jueteng-gate details prodded citizens into political debate over family dinners and street protests in 20 provinces. The impeachment case also recounted for them nine scandals that rocked Estrada’s tenure from the start – among them the charity sweepstakes fund diversion, BW Resources stock market manipulation, undeclared personal wealth, the Cabinet’s smuggled luxury vans, appointment of hundreds of pals as presidential consultants. Then came an expose on his mistresses’ mansions. All this made a President look like a serial criminal, for which Estrada decried prejudgment without trial.

Political observers believe Estrada will step down in the end. Former election chief Christian Monsod says it’s not a question of whether but of when. Rep. Ernesto Herrera hints at a deal, the same way Ford pardoned Nixon soon after the latter resigned to avoid impeachment for Watergate.

But distractions keep Estrada from making the choice of how to go. For one, economic managers keep whispering to him that the Indonesian rupiah and Thai baht are falling too, without mentioning western analyses that it’s the peso that’s dragging them down. They embolden Estrada to claim that it’s the street protests, not Jueteng-gate and the ten counts for impeachment, that’s scaring away investors.

There’s also a snap election proposal from left-fielders Juan Ponce Enrile and Raul Roco. They talk of "constructive, conditional resignation" that’s nowhere to be found in the Constitution. Malacanang propagandists at first pooh-poohed the idea, but later found it a dandy topic to draw public attention away from more exposes on Estrada’s lavish lifestyle.

Equally distracting is John Osmena’s proposal for a referendum on Estrada to coincide with the May 2001 election, along with a LAMP congressman’s parallel proposal to hold such referendum before yearend. And there’s Kit Tatad’s bid for a coalition government, with Macapagal-Arroyo as economic czarina and Ramos as ambassador-at-large.

Then, there’s the wrangling over who should head the House justice committee which will evaluate the impeachment complaint, and queries on whether the Senate Blue-Ribbon committee can continue hearings on Jueteng-gate despite the filing of the impeachment case.

There are supposed death threats, white papers, media offensives and crackdowns, telephone brigades, cellphone texting intrigues, plots to depose Senate President Frank Drilon and Speaker Manny Villar, banking sabotage, coup and destabilization plots, and foreign meddling. And there’s National Security Adviser Alex Aguirre’s warning that the military will not obey any successor if Estrada is forced to resign – a remark that prompted Aquino to say there’s no such thing as forced resignation.

There’s even a Palace-inspired agitation for Macapagal-Arroyo to herself resign – although she’s not the one linked to jueteng payoffs or any of the impeachment counts. And there’s the looming possibility, as Rep. Joker Arroyo warns, of Estrada declaring a state of emergency to stop street agitations for resignation, impeachment or leave of absence.

Finally, there’s Estrada’s speeches that appear to stir up a class war between the rich and poor, yet calling for national unity in the same breath.

Through all this, opposition circles buzzed with murmurs Thursday that Malacañang aides had started shredding documents of business deals and appointments for pals and kin. Protest leaders took it to mean demoralization has set in, so resignation is at hand. Whether or not it is will depend on how deeper the peso will sink these coming days. LAKAS Rep. Sergio Apostol, by the way, announced in Cebu yesterday that they’ve gathered 63 impeachment endorsements so far. Uh-oh.

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INTERACTION. Mon Sagullo, Candelaria, Quezon: Erap feels battered (Gotcha, 25 Oct. 2000)? Battered spouses can file for divorce. He can divorce the Presidency.

Alvin Casuga, edsamail.com: On Enrile’s call for snap election, why not include all senators and congressmen – who must then also resign.

Ruel F. Soliva, Moreno Valley, Ca.: What kind of defense is that – that government merely rented the "Boracay House" for Erap? For what purpose – mahjong and drinking sessions?

Matt Zobian, psu.edu: Is morality the reason why RP has leaders who won’t resign or be impeached (Gotcha, 23 Oct. 2000)? It’s the political system that fosters unethical, undemocratic conduct. The many political scandals of the past require reforms for the future. Reforms like: (1) a Constitution written not in the heat of political passion but on solid principles of political liberty, civil rights and economic freedom; (2) an educated electorate that embraces such values; (3) a political system that supports rather than thwarts the Constitution.

Elson Abuzo, KSA: What will happen to our country if he doesn’t resign? I pray for a swift, bloodless solution to the political turmoil.

Wilma Gabs, aol.com: He prefers to see the economy suffer more than stepping down.

Gloria Gaspar, smg.com: I can’t mention his name without blowing into expletives. But if he resigns, I might be able to respect him.

Donnie Mapanao, total.com: Mga Kabayan: (1) Our beloved President can always be found (2) hard at work with his Cabinet, without (3) wasting the country’s resources on cronies. He never (4) thinks twice about helping our countrymen, and he (5) decides firmly on political matters. He has absolutely no (6) vanity despite his high accomplishments and profound (7) knowledge in his field. I firmly believe that he can be (8) classified as a high-caliber leader, the type who can’t be (9) dispensed with anytime. PS: Read only the odd-numbered lines.

Thank you, Ched Arzadon, Ronaldo Magtaan, Joseph Epistola, NBV, Nessie Carmel, R.Y. Casamaria, Thess Unite, Efren Dela Cruz, Dr. Bobby Jimenez, Joselu Legarda, Roy Co, Jacob Solano, Gracita Bucad, Jose Labrador, Pastor Nes Baricante, Martin Sarmiento, Jundell Gevido, Filemon Tanchoc, Hilarion Cordero, Flavio C., Vic Sumagaysay, Willie Vicedo, Johnny Sy, Voltaire Duano, Timmy and Malu Alvendia.

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