Erap and the perfidy of EDSA
The Daily Tribune was a fledgling paper when the nation was wracked by yet another People Power. But looking back at what triggered EDSA 2 in 2001, just a year after this newspaper was formed, it is safe to conclude that even the closest allies of then sitting President Joseph Estrada also helped oust him — wittingly or not.
Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson, Estrada’s 11 allies in the Senate and then Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff, the late Gen. Angelo Reyes, all contributed to his removal from office.
On 4 October 2000, Singson, a longtime friend of Estrada’s, went public to accuse the President, his family and friends of pocketing millions of pesos from operations of jueteng, the illegal numbers game.
At this time, the Daily Tribune was the youngest among the major dailies in the country.
Singson and Estrada actually had a falling out when Estrada favored Charlie “Atong” Ang for the operation of Bingo 2 Ball — another version of jueteng.
Singson’s exposé quickly ignited public outrage against Estrada and provided a platform for the political opposition to go all-out in attacking Estrada through the media. Then, Senate Minority Leader Teofisto Guingona Jr. wasted no time firing the first salvo — delivering a fiery privilege speech on 5 October 2000 accusing Estrada of receiving P220 million in jueteng money from Singson from November 1998 to August 2000.
Guingona also charged that Estrada pocketed P70 million in tobacco excise taxes intended for the farmers of Ilocos Sur.
The privilege speech led to separate inquiries by the Senate, then headed by Senate President Franklin Drilon, and the House of Representatives led by Speaker Manny Villar.
Calls for Estrada’s resignation snowballed, with several of his Cabinet secretaries, led by then Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, leaving their posts and lawmakers defecting to the opposition.
Former Presidents Cory Aquino and Fidel Ramos also called for Estrada’s resignation.
On 13 November 2000, Villar transmitted the Articles of Impeachment against Estrada to the Senate where Drilon was replaced by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel II as Senate President. A week later, the Senate convened into an impeachment court.
The impeachment trial started on 7 December 2000, presided over by then Supreme Court
Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. with live daily radio and television broadcast.
Among the highlights of the trial by the testimony of Clarissa Ocampo, senior vice president of Equitable PCI Bank, who testified that she was merely a few feet away from Estrada when he signed as “Jose Velarde” on the documents involving a P500 million investment agreement with their bank in February 2000.
However, at the height of the impeachment trial on 16 January 2001, allies of Estrada in the Senate, led by then Senate Majority Floor Leader Francisco Tatad Jr., blocked the opening of an envelope through an 11-10 vote. This incident prompted Pimentel to resign as Senate President.
This was followed by Pimentel’s walkout, along with nine other senators and the entire prosecution panel, in protest of the close decision.
Calls for Estrada’s resignation snowballed, with several of his Cabinet secretaries, led by then Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, leaving their posts and lawmakers defecting to the opposition.
It also triggered massive protest rallies at the EDSA Shrine by the anti-Estrada groups, including militant and civil society organizations. Thousands of people stayed at the historic site for days to force Estrada out of Malacañang.
Then Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, who played a key role in the 1986 bloodless People Power revolt that ousted the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos, supported the anti-Estrada move. On the third day of the protests on 19 January 2001, Reyes, a compadre of Estrada, withdrew his support — towing the AFP top brass to the EDSA Shrine. Reyes’ withdrawal came despite his repeated assurance that the 125,000-strong AFP was solidly behind the duly constituted authority. In Camp Crame, then Philippine National Police chief Director General Panfilo Lacson vacated his post but did not join the EDSA rally. Then police Director Leandro Mendoza and Deputy Director General Reynaldo Wycoco went to EDSA. Estrada tried to preserve his presidency by calling for the continuation of the impeachment trial. When it did not work, he called for a snap presidential election and promised not to run. Nobody bought it. On 20 January 2001, Arroyo was sworn in as 14th President at the EDSA Shrine. Estrada left the Palace. He was later found guilty of plunder and served six years under house arrest. Macapagal-Arroyo granted him full pardon in 2007. He sought the presidency anew in 2010, but lost to Benigno Simeon Aquino III.
Estrada settled for the City of Manila’s mayoral post in 2013 and served for two terms, before he was defeated by Isko Moreno when he sought a third term in the last 13 May elections. The most successful actor-politician talked about being justified in the end, getting apologies from some of the people who were instrumental in his ouster at the beginning of this millennium.