MANILA, 26 October 2007 - Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo won plaudits from allies and political foes alike for granting full pardon to her predecessor even before he could serve his jail sentence for the crime of massive plunder.
But a bigger number of supporters and critics denounced her decision not as an act of magnanimity but of political expediency at the expense of the country’s justice system.
Former President Fidel Ramos, who played a crucial role in saving the Arroyo presidency when she faced her biggest crisis in 2005, warned that Estrada’s pardon could lead to Arroyo’s downfall.
Arroyo’s decision paves the way for Estrada’s release without his setting foot at the National Penitentiary in Muntinlupa, where he was destined to stay after the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court sentenced him to life imprisonment on charges of stealing tens of millions of dollars from the nation’s coffers.
The Sandiganbayan convicted him in September but allowed him to remain under house arrest pending an appeal.
Estrada earlier insisted he had rejected a deal offered by Arroyo, insisting his conviction was politically motivated.
But this week he said he told his lawyers not to contest the ruling, saying he did not stand a chance of getting acquitted in the country’s courts.
He then pleaded for clemency, which Arroyo readily granted despite objections by prosecutors and others who played key roles in cornering the biggest ever quarry in Philippine judicial history.
Acting Executive Secretary Ignacio Bunye yesterday said the pardon would restore former Estrada’s civil and political rights and would take effect upon his acceptance.
A court ruling forfeiting Estrada’s villa and some bank accounts would stay, Bunye said. The court confiscated $87 million from his bank accounts that had been frozen during the trial.
The case has marked a bitter chapter in Philippine politics that began when the one-time action hero was ousted from power in 2001, a move that led to violent street protests.
Estrada, 70, has been under house arrest since he was ousted as president in 2001 and Arroyo, was expected to be freed today.
Estrada’s wife, Luisa Ejercito, told national TV he had phoned her after the pardon was announced and said: “I’ll be home for lunch (today).” She said preparations were now underway for a homecoming party.
Estrada’s senator son, Jinggoy, said the pardon does not mean the opposition would go slow in pursuing accusations of bribery and kickbacks in Arroyo’s administration.
“I would like to thank this administration, specifically President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, for granting this pardon,” Senator Estrada said on television.
“As a senator I will continue to do my duty,” he said. “If there are anomalies in this government, I will continue to expose it.”
Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno denied any backdoor deals, saying “there were no negotiations with the camp of Estrada. This beautiful event was done by Arroyo not for herself but for everyone.” “It was done to unite the people,” he added.
Terrible Calamity
The pardon, however, did not sit well with other allies of the president, who defied warnings from former President Ramos “not to be hasty in giving clemency” to Estrada.
“It will be a terrible calamity to the great majority of the Filipino people who suffered from plunder,” Ramos said earlier in a television interview.
Sen. Richard Gordon, a critic of Estrada, said the pardon would hurt the country’s image.
“If we are going to show the world that we are for the rule of law, then there should be no pardon for Estrada,” he said.
State prosecutors who had helped convict Estrada were scathing in their criticism.
“A grant of pardon to Estrada totally demeans the prosecutorial efforts to combat graft and corruption,” said Dennis Villa-Ignacio, the lead prosecutor.
“This means that public servants, especially the highest officials of the land, can sit without accountability.” Other prosecutors said in a statement that Arroyo’s decision was a betrayal.
“The incumbent president has no right to pardon a person who claims that he was unjustly treated by the criminal justice system and that his rights to due process were denied,” they said.
“It would be the height of disloyalty and betrayal of the public trust for an incumbent president to trivialize the extraordinary act of pardon for the sake of political expediency.” Arroyo’s critics said the pardon would lead more people to join calls for her to resign.
“She did this for her own political survival, not for the interest of the nation,” said Catholic priest Joe Dizon, a vocal critic of Arroyo. “She can no longer govern effectively.
All her actions are for political survival.” The Senate is inquiring into allegations of government kickbacks in a $330 million telecoms deal. The names of both Arroyo and her husband have figured in the inquiry.
Newspapers have also said lawmakers and other senior elected officials loyal to Arroyo each received 200,000-500,000 pesos ($4,500-$11,300) after meeting the president earlier this month.
‘Saddest Moment’
The No Pardon for Estrada Movement (NOPE) called Arroyo’s latest act “the saddest moment in history as far as justice is concerned.”
“This is a very bad precedent considering that we’re supposed to be teaching our national politicians not to be corrupt and exercise good governance,” said NOPE convener and Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption founding chair Dante Jimenez.
Jimenez, in a phone interview, also lamented the politicization of the Estrada plunder case, saying, “Due process, rule of law and the upholding of justice were sacrificed.”
The VACC was one of the initiators of the impeachment and plunder cases against Estrada.
Akbayan chair emeritus Etta Rosales said the group was “dismayed,” because “no one should be above the law, not even a popular president.”
“Corruption prevails because we have high officials like Mrs. Arroyo who abuse their authority to coddle corrupt officials. The capacity to grant an official convicted of corruption executive clemency could only come from a president who’s all too willing to commit the same crime and expect the same privilege,” Rosales said.
Akbayan Party-Representative Risa Hontiveros said that by granting Estrada pardon, “Mrs. Arroyo has undermined the rule of law.”
“Let us mark this day as a day of impunity, a setback against our struggle against corruption,” she said.
Added Hontiveros: “The pardon is political insurance for Mrs. Arroyo who hopes that the same privilege would be extended to her once she faces accountability for her own crimes.”
Militant groups appeared resigned in accepting the turn of events, grudgingly admitting that the grant of clemency was an effective political tactic that would benefit Arroyo since it may soon remove a “major irritant” to her embattled administration.
The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said the early pardon of Estrada by Arroyo “was timed to blunt the negative impact of the damning testimony” in the Senate of businessmen Jose de Venecia III against the president and her husband Mike Arroyo’s involvement in the National Broadband Network deal.
“The motives for granting the pardon is utterly self-serving for Mrs. Arroyo,” Bayan secretary-general Renato Reyes Jr. said.
Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas chair Rafael Mariano described the pardon grant as “very machiavellian.”
“It is the consummation of her plan to neutralize Mr. Estrada and his supporters, so that they would be out of the equation of her current problems. She is also preparing the ground for her treatment when she is punished for her crimes. This is political accommodation at its dirtiest,” Mariano said.
“It’s a done deal and it’s a national tragedy, a treason against public interest in the name of political survival,” was the reaction of Fernando Hicap of the fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas.
He added: “It was in the political objective and calendar of the president in her sinister try to divert public attention away from her regime regarding scandals of corruption hounding her regime.”
Hicap, however, said giving pardon to Estrada was not an assurance that the president would be spared the popular anger over corruption scandals plaguing her administration.
“On the contrary, it will fuel the breakup of the Arroyo camp,” he said, adding that when it would be Arroyo’s turn to be charged with plunder, “Pamalakaya will make sure that what happened to Estrada will not happen to her and we will pursue the case relentlessly until she ends up in prison.”
Saudi OFWs React
In Saudi Arabia, while some members of the Filipino community welcomed Estrada’s eventual release, many questioned Arroyo’s motive for granting Estrada’s early release.
Arab News randomly sought comments and here’s what they said:
George and Sol Bahaynon, Alkhobar: It is a good move to unite Filipinos. Now we can move on to solve other problems like corruption, poverty and crime.
Sammy Perez, president of Ras Tanura OFW Association: Erap should have been made to serve his sentence. If it’s for political reasons that Gloria pardoned him, then she must explain her act to the people.
Bernard Ronquillo, Al Othaim Bakeshop, Riyadh: What’ GMA’s reason for this early pardon? Perhaps it’s true that she and Erap have made a deal based on their political interests. It’s unfair to those who have committed lesser crimes but continue to languish in prison.
Julianito Gregorio Jr., farmer sa Al-Kharj: They rushed Estrada’s pardon to cover up all the controversies and irregularities that the Arroyo administration is involved in.
Crisanto de Leon, Riyadh: Why did we have to go through all the trouble of showing to the world that we have convicted a former president, only to set him free without letting him serve his sentence even for a day? When are we going to wake up?
Dong Bonite, board chairman of the Boholano Overseas and prime mover of Pandaigdigang Pilipino in the Eastern Province I really don’t understand the agenda behind it. A convicted president being pardoned by another president whose legitimacy is in question. The pardon was done hastily. Erap should have been made to serve the sentence first.
Ador Tañedo, president of the Filipino Community in Jubail: I am loyal to President Arroyo but this time I don’t agree with what she did in pardoning Erap. We are talking about a president convicted of plunder. Arroyo should have at least let the year pass. She ought to explain the real reason behind her act.
Ronnie Abeto, Pusong Mamong Task Force, Riyadh: Talagang “Onli in the Pinas.” It is evident that this “moro-moro” was a done deal long time back. Taking into account the unrepentant manner of Erap, his persistent defiance on any judicial ruling against his case and his alleged involvement in coup attempts or destabilization against the GMA administration, GMA’s pardoning him without batting an eyelash really sucks.
Bernie T. Cinco, Dammam: I am neither against Erap nor GMA but the way our judiciary is being run is saddening. Let’s see when GMA steps down from the thrown she usurped from Erap.
Dick Orense, Riyadh: So the pardon has been granted that quick!!! I believe that was all planned. It was just for a show. Poor Juan de la Cruz.
Tonette Rodriguez, caterer in Jeddah: It’s about time. After all, Estrada had suffered enough from shame and from being separated for six years from his family.
Jimmy Pontejos, IT, Siemens in Jeddah: I have nothing against Erap but it’s a pity that we spent a lot of time, effort and taxpayers’ money to convict him, only to see him go without his even serving part of his sentence .
Nora Boquirin, housewife, Jeddah: If pardoning Erap results in unity for all Filipinos, what Arroyo did is okay. But I hope others will not emulate Estrada’s sins.
William Garalde, bank planning officer in Jeddah: The pardoning of Erap only suggests that anyone can do the same crime of that magnitude again and again without being penalized to the fullest extent of the law. It’s okay to if they accorded him special privileges while he is in prison but the worst thing that ever happened was their setting him free after his conviction of plunder.
Reynaldo Lagrimas, Jeddah: I never believed Erap was guilty as charged. But the pardon is a diversionary tactic by Gloria in view of the many anomalies by her administration. She is trying to win sympathy from Erap’ s supporters.
Al Bacleon, expeditor of medical supplies, Jeddah: I don’t agree to this act of pardon. But since it’s already done, let’s hope it will lead to unity. Let’s move on so that we can recovered from this big shame that has ever happened to our country.
(With reports from Inquirer News Service and wire agencies, and interviews by Bien Custodio in Riyadh, Dinan Arana in Alkhobar, and Francis Salud in Jeddah)
