Saturday, December 08, 2007 Speak out: Erap and Gloria together again By Lorenzo M. de la Serna Lapu-Lapu City
WHEN Joseph Estrada started visiting the provinces after he was granted presidential clemency, there were speculations he is toying with the idea of running for president in 2010.
The idea drew mixed reaction, mostly negative, from the elite and biased media.
One columnist sent me a text message: “No right-thinking Filipino will vote for Erap.”
“But there are more wrong-thinking than right-thinking Filipinos,” I replied.
An angry woman screamed over the radio: “President Arroyo must have gone crazy. Why pardon Erap? He has not served his conviction even for a day! He should be thrown into Muntinglupa to prevent him from running for president in 2010.”
Up to this day, people are confused.
Plunder is a very serious crime.
The offender should be meted life imprisonment.
But did Erap really steal money from government?
What happened
Let’s refresh our memory to what happened after Erap’s impeachment trial was aborted by the prosecutors’ walkout.
Edsa 2 began to broil.
When Erap was told that the presidential guards have also shifted their loyalty, he quietly left the palace via the Pasig River.
Caught by surprise, the people saw Arroyo hastily installed as president.
Erap supporters protested.
The impeachment trial was not resolved, thus Erap was still president.
Then Edsa 3 came along.
Malacañang worried that the masses still recognized Erap as their leader and that he could still be brought back to power.
To prevent people from rallying behind him, Erap had to be isolated.
The filing of the case of plunder, a non-bailable offense, was the only way to nail him down.
Not guilty
In the meantime, Erap had to be persuaded to accept the validity of Arroyo’s presidency, otherwise, he would be made to rot in jail.
But he continued to defend his case at the Sandiganbayan.
Erap’s lawyers said the special court never found Erap guilty of any of the changes hurled against him.
The prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence to pin him down.
When they started preparing to elevate the case to the Supreme Court, legal luminaries feared a constitutional crisis.
What if the Supreme Court found Erap innocent, which was most likely?
That would mean he was still president and must be immediately brought back to Malacañang.
Arroyo would have no choice but to step down.
The church, the elite and all those who pretended to be more popish than the Pope would be shamed for the grave mistake of accusing him of unfounded charges.
Taking these into account, the Sandiganbayan had to declare Erap guilty, premised on the assumption Malacañang would grant him absolute pardon.
The pardon was not an admission of guilt but only to make Erap appear that he recognized Arroyo`s power and authority.
As it turned out, the presidential grant of unconditional pardon, which restored all of Erap’s human and constitutional rights, appeared real and the Sandiganbayan conviction a farce.
Presidentiable
And will Will Erap run for president in 2010?
Yes, after all, he was unceremoniously deprived of the chance to finish his term.
By the way, who’s afraid of Erap and Gloria together again?
There’s a very strong possibility she will back Erap in a unity ticket under a quid pro quo arrangement.
Among the presidentiables, only Erap can assure her of protection from future prosecution for graft and other abuses--–in return for the pardon she granted him.
And there is no law prohibiting Gloria from running for vice president in 2010.
