Palace denies hand in Estrada disqualification case

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang on Wednesday denied it was planning to oust former president and Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada by backing the disqualification case filed against him.

“We would like to assure Mayor Estrada and with all due respect to whatever was mentioned to him or confided to him by his allies, we have no plan to eliminate Mayor Estrada,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing.

He also said the Palace was not privy on the proceedings of the Supreme Court, especially on what its decision will be on the disqualification case filed against him by lawyer Alicia Risos-Vidal and petitioner-intervenor Alfredo Lim whom Estrada beat during the last elections.

“We certainly do not know the basis of those allegations. We have always maintained a distance from the Supreme Court. So I don’t know why they are now alluding to our involvement when we don’t even know the proceedings that are happening before the Supreme Court in respect of the disqualification case against Mayor Estrada.

In the first place, Lacierda said there were “no instances of acrimony between the two families or between the two Presidents.”

“I certainly remember the kind words that Mayor Estrada offered at the time of the sickness of the late President Cory Aquino,” the Spokesperson said.

He also reiterated the fact that the administration worked with Estrada in solving the problems that resulted from the Manila truck ban and in getting the forgiveness of Hong Kong for the hostage taking crisis in 2010.

Estrada has been accusing President Benigno Aquino III’s administration of systematically persecuting his family, from the plunder case filed against Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada to the disqualification of his nephew former Laguna governor Emilio Ramon “ER” Ejercito.

But Lacierda said the case against Ejercito was filed by the Commission on Elections, which is an independent body.

“Insofar as the alleged harassment against Senator Jinggoy Estrada, again, let me also note that the investigation was initiated by another independent constitutional commission — the Commission on Audit,” he added.

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