High Denzity

Finally addressing her as “President,” opposition Sen. Jinggoy Estrada yesterday thanked President Arroyo for granting his father executive clemency.

Estrada also assured that he and his father, former President Joseph Estrada, will not be involved in any destabilization moves against the administration.

“I would like to thank President, ayan ha, President na, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for giving a pardon to my father,” the senator told a press conference yesterday.

The younger Estrada pointed to Mrs. Arroyo’s portrait in the background at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) as he held a news conference shortly after arriving from an official trip.

“Ganda ng background natin ah,” he said, complimenting Mrs. Arroyo’s portrait.

Estrada earlier vowed not to address Mrs. Arroyo as President, refusing to recognize the legitimacy of her administration after he was elected senator in 2004.

Estrada claimed he learned of the pardon granted to his father when he was in Hong Kong and immediately called to congratulate him.

“I haven’t seen him since he was freed,” Estrada said. “I’m most excited to see him as a free man.”

Estrada belied claims their family had entered into an agreement with Malacañang in exchange for the pardon.

Notwithstanding the pardon granted to his father, Estrada said he will still remain in the opposition and discharge his duties as a fiscalizer.

The senator said he will support Mrs. Arroyo’s advocacy to help the poor, just like his father.

“If ever this government will ask for (my father’s) support, I am willing to support this government as long as the programs will be for the benefit of our marginalized sector,” he said.

Estrada also confirmed the former president will be staying away from politics for now because of his grandmother’s deteriorating condition.

Estrada also distanced himself from the plan of the opposition to file a “stronger” impeachment complaint against Mrs. Arroyo on Monday.

He said any impeachment complaint must emanate from the House of Representatives and not from the Senate.

“So I cannot comment on that,” he said.

‘Old man’

In the same news conference, Estrada declared the granting of pardon to his father is a positive step towards national reconciliation.

Commenting on the awkward political position of his father following the granting of pardon, Estrada said the former president will remain a figurehead of the opposition “no matter what other people say.”

At the same time, the younger Estrada lashed out at critics, particularly former President Fidel Ramos, over their criticisms following the grant of pardon.

Ramos warned of a “terrible calamity” awaiting Mrs. Arroyo after she granted pardon to a convicted plunderer.

“I disagree with what former president Ramos has repeatedly said to the media since President Arroyo has issued a pardon for my father, that the days of the Arroyo administration are numbered, that there will be terrible calamity. I beg to disagree with the opinion of the old man,” he said.

Asked if he believes it would be better not to quarrel with the former president in order to achieve national reconciliation, Estrada said, “(Ramos) is the one quarreling with us, not us quarreling with him.”

“He has been issuing statements left and right criticizing the Arroyo administration for giving pardon to president Estrada. He is a supreme hypocrite,” he said.

Malacañang said the younger Estrada showed statesmanship in vowing to remain with the opposition notwithstanding the pardon granted to his father.

Presidential Management Staff chief Secretary Cerge Remonde said Sen. Estrada’s statements in distancing himself from destabilization moves would help in promoting stability and unity in the country.

“That is statesmanship of the first order on the part of Sen. Estrada, which should be most welcome in a country long torn by political division,” Remonde said.

He said Estrada set “an example that should be emulated by other leaders of the opposition.”

“It (Sen. Estrada’s statement) is proof that we are moving forward in healing the wounds of EDSA 2 and towards national unity,” Remonde said, referring to the popular uprising in January 2001 that ousted Estrada and installed Mrs. Arroyo.

Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., for his part, defended the pardon in saying the move signifies the effort of the administration to unite and heal the country.

De Venecia said the government had been lenient in granting the pardon to Estrada compared to other world leaders who suffered the same fate.

“Six-and-a-half years (of detention) is a reasonable punishment (for Estrada),” he said.

“Why couldn’t we do the same to a former president of the Philippines who has already served time for about six-and-a-half years?” he said.

De Venecia said he was among those who convinced Mrs. Arroyo to pardon Estrada “for humanitarian consideration” and put closure on political divisiveness in the country.

MICHAEL PUNONGBAYAN
PAOLO ROMERO AND DELON PORCALLA
The Philippine Star