Laguna Governor Emilio Ramon “ER” Ejercito. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – It is unlikely that President Benigno Aquino will go to jail, Malacañang said Monday in response to disqualified Laguna Governor Emilio Ramon “ER” Ejercito’s recent statement.
“Sa parte ng Pangulo at ng mga miyembro ng Gabinete, kami ay naglilingkod ayon sa pagtitiwala ng ating mga mamamayan at sinusunod ang Saligang Batas at lahat ng mga batas ng bansa,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a Palace briefing.
(On the part of the President and the members of Cabinet, we serve the country in accordance with the public’s trust and the Constitution and other laws of the land.)
Ejercito, in an earlier interview, accused the Aquinos of harassing his family.
He blamed the late President Corazon Aquino for the unseating of Joseph Estrada as San Juan mayor in 1986 and called his own ouster “selective justice.”
Ejercito said he is waiting for 2016, when Aquino steps down.
Coloma, on the other hand, insisted that the President’s family had nothing to do with Ejercito’s disqualification because of an election violation.
“Mismong ang Korte Suprema ay inuphold (uphold) ‘yung desisyon ng Commission on Elections na isang independent constitutional body,” he said.
(The Supreme Court itself upheld the decision of the Commission on Elections, which is an independent constitutional body.)
He said the administration has nothing to fear and that Aquino and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, Ejercito’s uncle, have a good relationship.
Coloma said the public should appreciate the turn of events.
“Ngayon lang tayo nagkaroon ng actual disqualification ng isang nakaupong lingkod-bayan.
Baka naman gusto nating tingnan ‘yung positibong aspeto nito na kung saan ipinapakita natin sa mga mamamayan na hindi balewala ‘yung mga tadhana ng batas na kinakailangang sundin ang mga patakaran,” he said.
(It is only now that an actual disqualification of a public official pushed through. Perhaps we should look at the positive aspect of this incident, which shows that we are not disregarding the law.)