As I See It
A Sunday interview with Joseph Estrada
By Neal Cruz
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:39:00 07/23/2008
Filed Under: Politics, Personalities, Elections
It looks like former president Joseph Estrada might run for president again in 2010. He has just released a DVD documentary, titled “The Return.” You know what that means.
During lunch last Sunday at his home in the Greenhills subdivision (where most of the food was produced in his Tanay estate, beginning with the “lechon,” or roasted pig) Estrada explained the rationale behind his second run for the presidency.
“If opposition presidential wannabes cannot agree on one candidate, I will run myself. More than one candidate will split opposition votes and they will therefore lose to the administration candidate,” he said.
Won’t his own candidacy split opposition votes even more?
“No,” he replied, “because I will always have 30 percent of the votes, no matter who are the other candidates.”
But the burning motive behind his desire to run again is “my honor.” “I want vindication,” said the man who was elected president with the biggest majority in the history of the Philippines, only to be deposed by People Power and a “biased” decision of the Davide Supreme Court, and then convicted by a special court of the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court specially handpicked to try him. “The Church, the business elite, and the politicians, ‘pinagtulungan ako’ [they ganged up on me]. ‘Wala akong kalabanlaban’ [I didn’t stand a chance],” said Estrada.
President Macapagal-Arroyo pardoned him after almost five years of detention.
But isn’t he barred from running for reelection?
“I am not running for reelection,” he replied. “I am running for a new term.”
He explained that there is an interval between his aborted term and the 2010 election. Just like senators, congressmen, governors and mayors who can run again for the same position after an interval, Estrada thinks the same applies to him.
“That’s not reelection. That’s a new election,” he said.
Did not his pardon by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ban him from political activities?
“My political rights were fully restored, including the right to vote. If I can vote, then I can be voted upon,” he said.
“The Constitution bans reelection by a sitting president because he/she will have all the advantages against rivals,” he continued. “That’s exactly what GMA [Ms Arroyo] had in 2004. She had patronage, public money, government machinery, public officials like Garci [Virgilio Garcillano, election commissioner]. She even cheated FPJ [Fernando Poe Jr.],” said Estrada.
“In my case I will have all the disadvantages: a sullied honor, a conviction, a member of the opposition, etc. It is like I have both hands tied behind my back, what more do they want? But I can still win because the people are with me. They know I have been unjustly persecuted.”
The moment you file your certificate of candidacy, there will be a horde of petitions to disqualify you.
“That is true, but a fair court will not disqualify me. A number of legal luminaries, including two Supreme Court chief justices (Artemio Panganiban and Andres Narvasa) have told me that I am qualified to be a presidential candidate.”
But you have already been a victim of a biased Supreme Court, the Davide Court that invented the term “constructive resignation” to conclude that you had “resigned” when there was not even a shadow of a resignation in existence, and used somebody else’s diary that was not even presented in court as evidence, as proof. What makes you think that the Puno Court will be fair to you when Puno himself was the author of that biased decision ousting you?
“Puno is only one; there are 14 other justices. I trust in their fairness. I leave it to their conscience.”
Haven’t you had enough? Why do you want to be in the center of the storm again?
“I said I want vindication. Besides, if I had not been deposed, we would not have the present problems now. I almost had the Muslim rebellion quelled. We captured Camp Abubakar, the MILF’s [Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s] fort. Just a little more time and the insurrection would have been quashed. Same with the NPA [New People’s Army]. Then we could have had the military freed to do peacetime work, restoring irrigation canals, constructing farm-to-market roads, building schools, etc. We could have used the military as another Department of Public Works. We could have saved a lot of money. ‘Wala pang corruption, walang tongpats’ [No corruption, no overpricing]. Then we could have produced enough rice for our needs, unlike now when we have to import billions of pesos of rice to feed our people. We have gone from bad to worse during the years of the GMA administration.”
What will you suggest GMA do now?
“Go on a leave of absence, not necessarily resign. She would still be President, but on leave. Go to Portugal.”
Who are the likely opposition presidential candidates, if not you?
“Villar, Mar Roxas, Loren Legarda, Ping Lacson.”
Who would be the likely vice presidential candidate?
“All of them, and Chiz Escudero.”
How about his son Jinggoy?
“Not yet. Too many heavyweights.”
You won as vice president against heavyweights, why not he?
“‘Di naman siya kasing guwapo ko, ha ha ha! [He’s not as handsome as I am].”
But he will be a senatorial candidate in 2010?
“Definitely. He has one more term.”
Who are the other likely opposition senatorial candidates in 2010?
“Adel Tamano, Representative Roilo Golez, ‘masipag ’yan’ [he’s hardworking], he deserves it.”
What about administration candidates?
“Nobody wants to run on the administration side, except Bayani Fernando, ha ha ha! The moment GMA endorses you, ‘talo ka na’ [you have lost]. Even [Vice President] Noli de Castro says he is not a member of Lakas or Kampi [the administration parties]. He claims to be independent. An endorsement by GMA is a kiss of death.”
That was Estrada talking.
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