Estrada to defense, prosecutors: Finish the trial for closure

Former President Joseph Estrada INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada wants the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona to end with a decision “based on strong evidence” to provide a closure that eluded his own trial 11 years ago.

“I want this trial to finish if only to correct the mistakes during my trial which was aborted.  We need to have this closure because … any man accused must be given the chance to defend himself in court,” Estrada said in an ambush interview at the Senate Wednesday.

“I would have been acquitted. Remember that when the second envelope that led to Edsa II was opened, they did not see anything that would involve me in anything irregular,” Estrada said.

A prosecution walkout during Estrada’s impeachment trial in 2001 after the senator-judges voted 11-10 not to open the so-called second envelope that purportedly linked him to “jueteng,” an illegal numbers racket, sparked a people power uprising that forced him to step aside.

“The only difference in the two impeachment trials is that this time, Senate President (Juan Ponce) Enrile is very impartial and has declared that he would not allow a walkout,” said Estrada, who went to the Senate for an exclusive interview with a cable TV channel.

“In my case, the presiding officer by the name of (then Chief Justice) Hilario Davide was part of the conspiracy to remove me from office,” he said.

A bombshell?

The actor-turned-politician said he would like the 23 senator-judges, including his son, Senate President Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, in the Corona trial not to base their decision on political partisanship.

“That’s what happened to me.  I do not want that to happen to the Chief Justice … To convict somebody without any strong evidence would be unfair,” said the 74-year-old Estrada.

“Senator-judges are mandated and have a responsibility toward the Filipino people. They must be fair and impartial,” explained Estrada who was impeached for betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.

Asked about the plan of Corona’s prosecutors to present 100 witnesses, Estrada shrugged.

“They (prosecutors) might have a bombshell like those in my trial,” he said, referring to Clarissa Ocampo of Equitable-PCI Bank who claimed she was sitting 1 foot away from him when he signed as Jose Velarde in a specimen signature card for a bank account that purportedly contained jueteng collections.

Estrada scoffed at the charge during the interview with the cable channel. “Even Cardinal Sin once said that if the devil offers him money, he would give it to the poor,” he called, referring to the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Sin.

Hoodlums in robes

Estrada said he admired President Aquino “because he has the courage” to prosecute Corona.

He recalled that when he was the Vice President he campaigned against “hoodlums in robes”—corrupt court judges who hindered the delivery of justice.

“Of the three branches of government, usually you can criticize Malacañang and the legislature, but the Supreme Court was never attacked, even when there was a strong sentiment against a decision it issued,” he noted.

No one above law

“It’s about time they should also be censured because of their abuses,” Estrada added.

Asked whether he sympathized with Corona, Estrada said, smiling: “Nobody is above the law, not even the President as I have experienced. How much more the Chief Justice? But I have nothing against the Chief Justice.”

Estrada said participants in his impeachment trial, including “some prosecutors (and) some senator-judges,” connived with “big business whose ire I incurred” to oust him. He said some of these people had apologized to him.

“They learned their mistakes during my trial.  It’s a good thing that all these happened. They are now more conscious of the mistakes they did before,” Estrada said.