By William B. Depasupil, Reporter
CHIEF Justice Reynato Puno was not endorsing the 2010 presidential bid of ousted former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada. The Supreme Court spokesman, lawyer Jose Midas Marquez, made the clarification on Wednesday in reaction to a full-page paid political advertisement of Estrada that appeared in at least three newspapers that tended to project that Estrada was being endorsed by the Chief Justice.Like Puno, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) also on Wednesday said that it would not endorse any political candidates in next year’s polls.
According to Msgr. Pedro Quitorio 3rd, CBCP spokesman, they instead would encourage the public to follow the guidelines in choosing a candidate that the bishops’ group would release soon.
In denying that the Chief Justice was backing Estrada’s candidacy, Marquez, also Puno’s concurrent chief of staff, said, “It was not an endorsement and should not be perceived or used as such by any candidate.”
The paid ad, “Listen to the Voice of History,” showed the pictures of the late former President Corazon Aquino talking to Estrada, the late Supreme Court Justice Cecilia Muñoz-Palma and Puno with corresponding quotes attributed to each of the three.
Marquez also questioned the Estrada camp’s use of the Chief Justice’s picture and part of his opinion for propaganda purposes without Puno’s permission.
“Definitely, the permission of the CJ [Chief Justice] to use his picture and opinion was not sought, nor was it ever given. This is also in keeping with the nature of the Moral Force Movement convened by the CJ to be non-partisan,” the Court spokesman said.
Moral force
Puno launched the Moral Force Movement two months ago to serve as catalyst in initiating honest reforms in the government and establishing a just and humane society through the election of “ transformational leaders” in the 2010 polls.
He said that the movement is an apolitical group and has no room for politicians or people with political ambitions to ensure its independence.
Puno’s quote in the paid ad states: “The better policy approach is to LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE who will be the next president. For on political questions, this Court may err but the SOVEREIGN PEOPLE will not. To be sure, the Constitution did not grant to the unelected members of this court the right to ELECT IN BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE.”
Marquez pointed out that it was clear from the paid ad that the quote was from Puno’s separate opinion in the 2004 Maria Jeanette C. Tecson v Comelec questioning the citizenship of the late actor Fernando Poe Jr., who ran but lost in the 2004 presidential elections.
The High Court, in an 8-5 with one abstention decision, ruled in favor of Poe in the case.
On Aquino, her quote states: “Erap, I’m one of those who feel guilty for the 2001 uprising. Lahat naman tayo nagkakamali. Patawarin mo na lamang ako.”
It was also stated in the ad that the former president made the statement at the JDV Book Launching on December 22, 2008.
Palma was quoted as saying: “The 1987 Constitution suffered. This happened when the going Impeachment trial of President Joseph Estrada was unceremoniously disrupted and discontinued and the issues on hand were brought to the parliament of the streets. The Rule of Law was set aside and the Rule of Force prevailed.”
Former Justice Secretary and now Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Raul Gonzalez has said that Estrada is not qualified anymore to run in 2010. “He can always aspire, but he cannot run. Any president who serve his term cannot run for any reelection.”
Acting Justice Secretary and concurrent Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera earlier agreed with Gonzalez’s position.
Devanadera had said that Estrada is barred from seeking the presidency again by the Constitution and the pardon granted him in 2008.
It was Devanadera’s office that drafted the pardon granted to Estrada after he was found guilty of plunder by the Sandiganbayan.
Devanadera claimed then that “there is a whereas clause in the pardon that states that Estrada will not run again for public office.”
But she now refuses to give her legal opinion in connection with the decision of Estrada to seek the presidency again in the 2010 elections for conflict of interest.
“A case might be filed before the Comelec [Commission on Elections] and as concurrent solicitor general I will be tasked to defend the Comelec. I would rather not make a legal opinion on that matter,” Devanadera told The Manila Times.
Devanadera explained that her legal opinion on the matter as Justice secretary would run counter to her position as solicitor general once a case is filed at the Comelec.
Pro-poor platform
Estrada formally announced also on Wednesday his intention to seek reelection in next year’s balloting before a huge crowd in Manila’s Tondo district.
Elected president in 1998, he said that he has decided to run again because he is now more prepared to face the difficulties and challenges of leading the nation.
“I intend to deliver and implement the same pro-poor platform that I presented before if you will give me the same vote of confidence, which you have given me in 1998,” he told the crowd, mostly composed of poor residents of the district where he was born.
Estrada announced the names of his senatorial candidates: Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Jose de Venecia 3rd, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Gen. Danilo Lim, Rep. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos of Ilocos Norte, Rep. Rodolfo “Ompong” Plaza of Agusan del Sur, Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr. of Makati City and Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel 3rd.
Estrada said that he is running because the political opposition, despite his best efforts, cannot be united.
The former president, whose running mate for vice president would be Mayor Jejomar Binay of Makati City, made the announcement yesterday afternoon at Plaza Amado V. Hernandez in Moriones, Tondo, near the Santo Niño Church.
There are contentions that Estrada is no longer qualified to run for president.
One of them, Article VII Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution, states that “the President shall not be eligible for any reelection.”
But some of Estrada’s lawyers are of the opinion that the prohibition pertains to the president who is in office immediately preceding elections.
Others argue that the constitutional prohibition does not include a president who was ousted from office or whose term was not completed.
Those who also believe that the former president is no longer qualified to run cite a stipulation in his conditional pardon that prevents him to seek any elective post.
Despite this controversy and the issues of graft and corruption thrown against him, Estrada believes he still has the support of the majority of poor Filipinos.
He still goes strong in surveys, placing third in the recent Social Weather Stations poll. But his running mate, Binay, has not fared well in the surveys but the new opposition tandem believes that their ratings will still improve in the next few months.
Estrada was voted by 10.8 million Filipinos in the 1998 elections, which saw the largest winning margin by a presidential candidate.
His tenure as president did not last long as he was forced to leave Malacañang by massive demonstrations. He spent seven years in prison and was convicted of plunder. President Gloria Arroyo granted him executive clemency after the judgment was rendered.
Estrada is going up against presidential aspirants Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Vice President Noli de Castro and Sen. Manuel Villar Jr.; and probable candidates Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando, Sen. Francis Escudero and evangelist Eddie Villanueva.
A “very important personality” is being wooed by the administration party Lakas-Kampi Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) to become the running mate of Teodoro in the 2010 race.
During his regular press conference also on Wednesday, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, however, declined to give names.
Ermita also denied that Environment Secretary Joselito Atienza had joined the Estrada camp. Atienza himself also dismissed his alleged defection.
During the press conference, he said that they are not alarmed by some members of the ruling coalition leaving the party because many other politicians were joining Lakas-Kampi CMD.
Mock elections
Among senators seeking the presidency, Villar seemed to be the top choice, at least among reporters covering the Senate.
The president of the Nacionalista Party, he garnered 12 of the 32 votes cast in mock elections in the chamber.
Villar was followed by Escudero with eight votes and Jamby Madrigal, seven votes. Madrigal is Villar’s main accuser in a pending ethics case in the Senate.
Trailing them were Noynoy, four votes; Loren Legarda, one vote; and Richard Gordon, zero.
Rommel C. Lontayao, Angelo S. Samonte, Camille Bernice V. Bauzon, Llanesca T. Panti,
Cris G. Odronia and Michael Tanaotanao
Source: http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/component/content/article/42-rokstories/4463-chief-justice-puno-no-estrada-fan
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