ERAP BLAMES GMA FOR PHL MISERIES / GMA WON'T ENGAGE IN WORD WAR W/ ERAP
MANILA, APRIL 22, 2011 (STAR) By Jose Rodel Clapano [PHOTO - Former President Joseph Estrada celebrates his 74th birthday yesterday in 'Erap City,' a resettlement area in Taytay, Rizal for displaced San Juan residents. Boy Santos]
Former President Joseph Estrada said it is his birthday wish to see the Aquino administration succeed in stamping out corruption and making former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo pay for inflicting so much misery on Filipinos.
"The poor Filipino people are suffering because of the massive corruption that has transpired in the previous administration. She (Arroyo) has to pay for all of this, for turning almost all the government agencies into corrupt institutions," Estrada told reporters during his 74th birthday celebration in "Erap City," a resettlement area in Taytay, Rizal for displaced San Juan residents.
With him were San Juan Mayor Guia Gomez and their son Rep. JV Ejercito.
"I'm happy that I'm still healthy. I can still and I was able to go around and continue my tradition of giving gifts to at least 10,000 poor Filipinos to whom I owe my successful career as an actor and as a public servant," Estrada said. "My birthday wish is justice for the Filipino people."
He said he hopes President Aquino would be able to fulfill his promises to the nation, particularly of eradicating corruption.
Arroyo succeeded Estrada after his ouster in a bloodless revolt in 2001. But Estrada called EDSA II a conspiracy among a few influential businessmen, civil society and the military.
Estrada said corruption became entrenched in institutions during the Arroyo administration, particularly in the Philippine National Police, the military, the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Agriculture.
Arroyo pardoned Estrada in October 2007, months after his conviction for plunder.
"Her guilt is as clear as the morning," Estrada said.
Estrada tried to make a political comeback by running for president in May 2010 but lost to President Aquino. He placed second in the race but was five million votes behind Aquino. He said he was vindicated by the result of the elections.
Estrada said Mrs. Arroyo should be made to face all the allegations against her, including alleged cheating in the 2004 presidential election where Estrada's friend, popular movie actor Fernando Poe, Jr. lost by a million votes.
Estrada said a recorded conversation between Mrs. Arroyo and a poll official widely believed to be then commissioner Virgilio Garcillano was enough proof of manipulation of the 2004 election results.
"In eradicating corruption we must find justice for the crimes against the people that have been done by the past administration, not only for plunder but especially for stealing the people's votes," Estrada said.
Estrada said that aside from the impeachment trial of Ombudsman Merceditas Guttierez, the other task at hand for the administration and its supporters is to look for the masterminds of the botched national broadband deal and the fertilizer fund scam.
He said Gutierrez is lucky because she would be given her day in court.
"She is still fortunate because she is being given due process by Congress, unlike my impeachment, which was railroaded by (then Senate President Manny) Villar," Estrada said.
Estrada said he believes that Gutierrez would be given a fair trial at the Senate.
"Senators have independent minds and cannot be dictated upon," Estrada said.
Estrada also said Gutierrez cannot be completely blamed for her mediocre showing because the Arroyo administration was able to hide or dispose of evidence against her and some of her officials.
The impeachment complaints against Gutierrez were based on her failure or refusal to act on big cases like the P728-million fertilizer fund scam and the aborted $329-million national broadband network (NBN) deal with Chinese firm ZTE.
Estrada recalled that signatories to the NBN deal even had to make up a story that the contract was stolen in China moments after it was signed.
"(Senate President Pro-Tempore) Jinggoy (Estrada) even had to insist that the Chinese executives surrender the contracts. Even the Senate could not acquire the evidence from the Arroyo administration officials," Estrada said.
GMA won't engage in word war with Erap By Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star) Updated April 21, 2011 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo kept her silence in the face of former President Joseph Estrada's voicing of a wish that she be made to pay for making Filipinos suffer during her nine-year administration.
Arroyo's spokesperson Ma. Elena Bautista-Horn said they would rather pray for good health for Estrada who celebrated his 74th birthday last Tuesday.
"We continue to pray for him (Estrada) and our country this Lenten season. We wish the former president many more birthdays and a blessed Easter to all," Bautista-Horn said.
Estrada had said it was his birthday wish to see Mrs. Arroyo get punished for causing misery to so many Filipinos. He issued the statement during the celebration of his birthday in "Erap City," a resettlement area in Taytay, Rizal for displaced San Juan residents.
Arroyo said last week there was a "vacuum of leadership" in Malacañang, and that the administration was doing nothing but "demonize" her. She accused the Aquino administration of neglecting the fuel crisis as well as the worsening unemployment and hunger incidence in the country.
Arroyo's tirade came after a staunch House ally Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez announced preparations for a "frontal attack" on the Aquino administration.
But House Minority Leader and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman denied they were on offensive saying what they were doing was "tempered" criticism of the administration.
"The poor Filipino people are suffering because of the massive corruption that has transpired in the previous administration. She (Arroyo) has to pay for all of this, for turning almost all the government agencies into corrupt institutions," Estrada told reporters last Tuesday.
"My birthday wish is justice for the Filipino people... her (Mrs. Arroyo) guilt is as clear as the morning," he said.
Estrada was ousted in a bloodless revolt in 2001 over allegations of corruption. The former leader, who was convicted in 2007 for plunder and immediately pardoned by Mrs. Arroyo, said his ouster was the handiwork of members of the elite, particularly some businessmen, civil society groups, and military generals.
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