FORMER President Joseph Estrada is now talking reconciliation with the Arroyo administration but has set the terms mainly that he would be released on recognizance by the Sandiganbayan.
And the first steps toward reconciliation could begin today at the Quirino Grandstand where the mammoth religious sect El Shaddai is set to hold a birthday Mass and prayer rally for its leader, Bro. Mike Velarde-an event to be attended by Estrada and most probably President Macapagal-Arroyo.
Estrada told the Inquirer that should he and the President share the stage at the same time, he was willing to shake hands with his former Vice President.
Totoo ba yan? Kasi ito naman yung balita ng Tribune, which is... shall we say, different from PDI's.
Quoting Ecclesiastes, detained President Estrada yesterday noted it is not the right time to extend the hand of reconciliation to President Arroyo, saying, “There is a season and a reason for everything, and the season is not now.”
Sources close to Estrada, who is out on a hospital furlough and who has been granted by the Sandiganbayan court to attend the founding day rites of a Catholic charismatic movement, the El Shaddai, led by evangelist Mike Velarde, told the Tribune that the detained leader made it clear that he would not want to share the stage with Mrs. Arroyo.
Tee hee. Here's more:
“Knowing Malacañang and its spin doctors, if they (Estrada and Mrs. Arroyo) as much as appear together on stage and are made to shake hands or exchange peace greetings, there is no doubt that Malacañang will seize on this opportunity to make it appear that President Erap capitulated,” the sources said, adding, “Even in sharing a stage, Malacañang will surely use this as a photo-op and twist the story, to benefit (Mrs.) Gloria (Arroyo), not to mention the fact that the pro-government media will insinuate that a deal had been made.”
Estrada said he was invited by Brother Mike to attend the El Shaddai activity and he couldn't say no to the El Shaddai leader, as Velarde had been his spiritual counsellor when he was in Malacañang.
But the detained leader vehemently denied reports he had forged a deal with Mrs. Arroyo, which would focus on reconciliation between the two presidents in exchange for his liberty.
“I have asked for bail, but from the court, because I am definitely not a 'flight risk,' and the prosecution has failed to prove its charges of plunder against me,” Estrada said.
He went on to say that it is impossible for the court to judge him as a flight risk, pointing out it is on record that Mrs. Arroyo, through her emissaries, offered him exile in a foreign country of his choice, as well as to drop the plunder charges filed against him.
“Three times they offered me my 'freedom' in exchange for my letter of resignation, to legitimize her government. Three times, I refused the offers and told them I was willing to face the court cases, because I knew I was innocent of those charges that they framed me with.”
He also recounted the fact that he had left for Hong Kong for his knee replacement operation with the permission of the court and arrived on the date the court ordered. “I did not ask for an extension, even if my doctor said I needed some more physical therapy with a special therapist.”
He reiterated that he has not asked any favors from Mrs. Arroyo and is not going to do so, stressing that “if I ask for my freedom today, I am asking for it, not from her, but from the court,” stressing it is his right to ask for bail, just as it is right for the court to grant him his temporary freedom after four and a half years in detention, and because the government's case against him is “very very weak.”
Sources close to Estrada told the Tribune that if Mrs. Arroyo just stops interfering in the case against the detained leader, the case would have been dismissed a long time ago—after the prosecution rested its case, as the government could not produce any evidence, testimonial or documentary, to show that Estrada was guilty of the offenses charged.
The same sources said Estrada was feeling bad about the furlough, as he has been denied again by the court his appeal to stop by to visit, even for a few hours, his mother, who lives in San Juan, a stone's throw away from the Cardinal Santos Hospital, where he is having his medical examination.
Estrada also wanted to visit the tomb of his best friend, Fernando Poe, Jr., whose presidential candidacy the former leader supported all the way. “It was his birthday, and I wanted to be at his gravesite, even for a little while,” but the court had also denied his plea.
It was reported the other day that reconciliation efforts were underway between Estrada and Mrs. Arroyo, with Environment Secretary Mike Defensor quoted as saying that talks focused on Estrada being released to the custody of some trustworthy and respected individual, without the necessity of posting bail.
But the sources said it was Defensor who had suggested this, not Estrada. “Besides, if there was such a deal, why did Erap's lawyers file for bail before the court?”
Abante-Tonite also reported on Erap's visit to the El Shaddai rally nung hating gabi.
Dakong alas-12:15 ng hatinggabi nang dumating si Estrada. Naging mainit ang pagsalubong sa kanya ng mga mga tao na karamiha’y nagsigawan ng "Erap, Erap!"
Subalit kapuna-puna rin na isa-isang nagkalasan ang mga kaalyado ng administrasyon tulad nina Sens. Juan Ponce Enrile, Mar Roxas, Francis Pangilinan at Vice President Noli De Castro.
Sa kanyang pagsasalita, kapuna-puna na sa bawat pahayag ni Estrada ay nagsisigawan sa tuwa ang mga tao na ayon sa ilang observers ay taliwas sa ipinakitang pagsalubong kay Arroyo na pawang palakpakan lamang umano ang narinig.
Tuwang-tuwa din ang mga tao nang sabihin ni Estrada na lalo siyang lumakas at bumata sa loob ng apat na taong pagkakabilanggo. "Hindi po totoong nabubulok na daw ako sa kulungan. Luminaw ang paningin ko. Lumakas po ako at sumigla," ani Estrada.
"Sa kulungan hindi ako nawalan ng pag-asa, hindi ako nasiraan ng loob. Tumibay ang aking pananalig. Hindi po ako natakot at sa panahong ito, mahigit na apat na taon na, natuto akong magpatawad, nawala ang sama ng loob at galit ko sa mga taong nagparatang, nanlait at humusga sa akin," bahagi ng naging talumpati ni Estrada.
"Kung malalampasan ko ang krisis kong ito, ipinapangako ko na iaalay ko ang nalalabing sandali ng aking buhay para sa ating bayan. I promise to dedicate the my self the rest of my life to serve you. This is my commitment to the Lord and to you. Maniwala kayo, tiyak ‘yon.
"Magkaisa po tayo at sama-sama tayong manindigan sa katotohanan para sa sambayanang Pilipino. "The truth shall me free. The truth shall set us all free. Huwag tayong matakot sa katotohanan. Ang Panginoon ang siyang bahala sa ating lahat," pahayag pa ng dating Pangulo.
Bago tuluyang magtapos ang kanyang talumpati, binanggit ni Estrada ang kanyang yumaong kaibigang matalik na si Fernando Poe Jr. kasabay ng pagbati kay Bro. Mike sa kaarawan nito.
"Siguro (dahil) parehong August 20 ang birthday nyo (ni FPJ) kaya kayong dalawa, pareho nyo akong mahal at mahal ko kayong dalawa," ani Estrada.
In other news, Malacanang is still smarting from the "handshake flap":
Still smarting from its apparent attempt to pull the rug from under ousted President Joseph Estrada's feet, Malacañang yesterday was evasive and refused to admit whether it had been in the plan of President Arroyo to shake hands with the deposed leader on the same platform during the birthday celebration of religious leader Bro. Mariano “Mike” Velarde at Manila's Rizal Park (Luneta) last Saturday night.
During a chance interview, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said he had no idea if Mrs. Arroyo had plans to reconcile with Estrada on the stage of the Quirino Grandstand with Velarde but he stressed that the President would not stop in pushing her unity and reconciliation agenda with the opposition forces led by Estrada, who was ousted from power in Jan. 2001.
“I don't have an idea that the President intends to share the platform with Erap (Estrada's nickname). She was there for hours and then Erap (arrived later) as he was invited by Mike Velarde,” Ermita added.
The expected handshake did not materialize as Estrada, who apparently had information about it beforehand, instead waited until Mrs. Arroyo left the platform before he greeted Velarde, the head of El Shaddai.
Ahem... I guess there will be a time for "reconciliation," but not now.
Of course, kung sincere talaga si Arroyo sa tunay na reconciliation, alam niya kung ano munang dapat gawin.
Agree rin si Cory Aquino.
Ninez comments:
It was clear from the way the El Shaddai crowd reacted to the two major political figures, whom the crowd still preferred, believed and trusted.
Between Joseph Estrada, deposed by the elite, and Gloria Arroyo, installed by the elite, Erap was the choice — hands down.
When Gloria spoke before the El Shaddai, the reaction was not even lukewarm. It was what is known as “dedma.” In the case of Erap, even before he made his entrance, with the emcee telling the crowd that there was a special guest coming, the crowd roared in appreciation and roared even louder when Estrada came in. Whatever he said was lapped up by the Shaddai crowd.
The strange part of it all was that, whether it was Gloria, or Noli de Castro, or Joe de Venecia introduced to the crowd, it was still a dedma crowd for them — not so in the case of Estrada and his opposition group that was with him. The cheers were defeaning.
Such contrasting reaction from the crowd, largely a D and E socio-economic class, should already give Gloria and her administration allies the clear signals that even as they continue to sit in power, there is no public support extended to them. Not even De Castro, said to have mass-based support, was given a rousing welcome.
So how long do they think they can hang on to power, clearly bereft of public support, especially so at a time of an economic crisis exacerbated by the energy crisis?
Gloria keeps on talking about the need for the country and the people to be united in the face of the crisis. Estrada also spoke of the wish to see the country and the people to be united. So why did the public cheer Estrada, not Gloria, when they spoke on the same topic?
Was it perhaps because the crowd was willing to listen to Erap on the need for unity, but not to Gloria when she says the same thing? But is this not too an indication that the crowd places more hope in Estrada than in Gloria? And wouldn't this mean too that people see Gloria as insincere in whatever she says and see Estrada as sincere?
It should be stressed that Estrada has been demonized, deposed, thrown into a jail and charged with plunder. Yet the crowd appeared to place their hopes and trust in him, rather than the incumbent. And in the end, it is the leader who can give hope to a people who can unite a deeply divided people.
No matter what Gloria said to the crowd, she received the cold shoulder. Even as she tried to get the crowd to identify with her, by claiming that decades ago, even before she became a senator, she was with the El Shaddai crowd on overnight vigils. No reaction. Then she thanked Mike Velarde, leader of the Catholic charismatic group and the crowd for voting her in as President. No reaction from the crowd again, giving one the impression that the people there either did not vote for her, or worse, believe even more strongly that she had cheated her way to the presidency, especially as the crowd cheered again when Estrada mentioned the name of Fernando Poe Jr.
There was no doubt that Gloria wanted to use this occasion to create the impression that she had already won over Estrada to her side, and with that, would also have the masses over to her side.
But as Estrada appeared to have realized the trap Gloria and her propagandists had laid out for him, he chose to appear after she left, for the two not to share the same stage at the same time.
That reconciliation bit being staged by Gloria and her aides went flat. Knowing Gloria, she would have used that opportunity for her benefit and nobody else's.
She and her aides certainly know they are in deep manure, with the stink of poll fraud clinging to her skin, while crisis after crisis hits her and her government. What makes it more terrifying for her is the fact that knowing she has no public support at all, she cannot get the public behind her calls for unity and sacrifice in the face of the hard political and economic times.
Nothing, but nothing she says gets the support of the public — whether it is for the people to believe that she is the legitimately elected President, or to get the people to put their trust and confidence in her to achieve what she calls a Philippines ready to take off.
And yet they know it is most important for a leader in times of deep crisis, to have a people get behind him, and to put their trust in that leader and even more important, that leader must have the legal and moral mandate of the people to get the country and the nation out of that economic and political morass that she and her elite mob had created.
Reconcialtion and unity cannot be achieved under her regime, because it is she who created this division and disunity through the elite Edsa II revolt.
What must be done is to first right the constitutional wrong and only then can we begin to become a strong nation that respects the rule of law.
Ducky Paredes has more too.
PRESIDENT Joseph Estrada had to negotiate hard with Mike Velarde to avoid having a meaningless reconciliation ceremony with Gloria Arroyo that Mike wanted to happen on nationwide television with Velarde acting as the conciliator.
Says Erap: "There is a season and a reason for everything, and the season is not now."
What would anyone, including the country gain from the faking of reconciliation? It would be totally meaningless. True reconciliation needs true contrition. The offender must ask to be forgiven for her offenses. There is no show of contrition on the part of Gloria Arroyo.
Clearly, Erap, if he had agreed to a show of reconciliation, would only have been used by Gloria. She would crow to the world that Erap had surrendered to her. This would be used to undercut the opposition’s and everyone else’s call for Gloria’s resignation.
Thus, there was no way that Erap, the true president, would have agreed to even share the same stage with the fake president.
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