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Thursday, June 01, 2006
Church, elite, Ramos ousted me, says Estrada
MANILA -- Former Philippine leader Joseph Estrada returned to the witness stand in his long-running corruption trial to tell the court Wednesday that he was ousted from office by a conspiracy involving the powerful Roman Catholic Church and the country's elite.
Estrada, 69, also reiterated that he had never resigned, was still technically the president and as such is immune from suit.
"It's simply a power grab," the still popular former president said.
He cited an article that appeared shortly after his ouster in 2001 wherein Jose Miguel Arroyo, husband of Estrada's successor President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, was quoted as saying that he was willing "to shed blood" just to oust Estrada.
Estrada also told the court that the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin and former president Fidel Ramos, the Lopez family, the Makati Business Club, the Ayala family, Singson, and then Armed Forces chief Angelo Reyes allegedly conspired to have him replaced.
He said Cardinal Sin had wanted to block the approval of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which he did not agree to.
Ramos, he said, had a part in the conspiracy, because he had created a fact-finding body to investigate the Centennial Expo Scam in Clark Pampanga.
On the Lopezes, Estrada said he did not approve of the 100 percent increase in water rates as proposed by the Ayalas.
With regard to Singson, he said he had approved of the legalization of jueteng with the establishment of the Bingo 2 Ball but Ilocos Sur Governor Luis Chavit Singson wanted the illegal numbers game jueteng to continue.
"When jueteng was being legalized, he was very much against it," Estrada told the court in the presence of Singson who was at the gallery.
Ricardo Romulo, former president of the Makati Business Club who eventually landed as chairman of the Equitable PCI Bank, was also part of the conspiracy, according to Estrada.
He said proof of this was a board resolution passed by Equitable on Dec. 19, 2000 authorizing the bank management to "provide legal, financial, logistical and other support to any and all bank officials who may give their testimony or represent Equitable in connection with the same impeachment proceedings or other proceedings related thereto."
In the case of Reyes, he said up until now he does not have any idea why he had turned his back on him to join Arroyo's camp.
He said President Arroyo, who was then vice president, had met with other alleged conspirators, including Singson, whom he could not believe would join the camp of Arroyo.
"Eight months after his meeting with Mrs. Arroyo, Governor Singson made true his threat that he would publicly accuse me of graft," Estrada said.
Estrada's testimony also focused on what the alleged "conspirators" had done to oust him.
On then chief Justice Hilario Davide's part in the alleged conspiracy, he said, Davide had allowed President Arroyo to be sworn in despite the lack of constitutional basis to do so.
"I cannot believe it, because for a Supreme Court justice, a chief justice at that, to have that kind of thinking. I believe that's highly illegal and unconstitutional," Estrada said.
Estrada's testimony on Davide had been repeatedly objected to by Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio, which the court had also repeatedly overruled.
Estrada also said he thinks that the basis of Supreme Court ruling upholding Arroyo's presidency was his alleged "constructive resignation" and the diary of Senator Edgardo Angara.
"I have been asking legal luminaries, they said there's no such thing as constructive resignation," he said.
"I'm still the president. I have not resigned. The impeachment was aborted. I was not impeached. I am not incapacitated and I'm very much alive," Estrada said.
When asked whether he had proof that he had only taken a leave of absence, he said he sent a letter addressed to then House Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella and to then Senate president Aquilino Pimentel Jr.
"By virtue of the provisions of Section II, Article VII of the Constitution, I am hereby transmitting this declaration that I am unable to exercise the powers and duties of my office. By operation of law and the Constitution, the Vice President shall be acting President," Estrada read the letter before the court. (DBP/Sunnex)
(June 1, 2006 issue)
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