BUMPS (23)

HALAW sa aking pangalawang aklat “BUMPS: Fifty Years of Dictatorship and Democracy in the Philippines (1972-2022).” Bahagi ng pampitong tsapter kung saan tinalakay ng inyong lingkod ang gobyerno ni Erap Estrada, ang EDSA Dos, at “EDSA Tres.”Pakibasa:

When asked why he went against Estrada, Singson said: “He betrayed me. He was using me as his collector for his jueteng payoffs. After using me, he disregarded me. He gave the Bingo Two-Ball [franchise] in my province to Eric Singson, who is my political enemy and whom I defeated in the 1998 gubernatorial election. What face can I show in my province? I value true friendship. Estrada is not a true friend.”

When asked when and how he became Estrada’s bagman, Singson said: “It began right after he took over the presidency in July 1998. I was called to the house at Polk Street [in Greenhills, Estrada’s home in suburban San Juan], together with Charlie “Atong” Ang and businessman Bong Pineda [alleged jueteng lord of Pampanga province north of Manila]. Atong was to take over jueteng operations in the country and would give money to the president. But then he and the president had a falling out over sugar allocations. President Estrada instructed me to take over Atong’s duties. From November 1998 to August this year, I collected P545 million [about $11.7 million at 46.5 pesos to the dollar] from jueteng operators in Luzon.

“Of that, I personally delivered [nearly $4.3 million] to the president. I brought the money in attache cases that I would drop beside the president’s chair inside his office at Malacanang. The balance of my collections, totalling [also about $4.3 million], was deposited in my bank account. The deposits were later transferred to the bank accounts of [Estrada’s] accountant and auditor, Yolanda Ricaforte. Sometime this year, the president instructed Ricaforte to transfer [that $4.3 million] to a designated account of his choice.”

When asked why he and Estrada had a fallout, Singson said: “Atong badmouthed me before the president because he wanted to regain his closeness to Estrada. Atong claimed I was skimming the money I was collecting for the president. How could I do that when the president himself assigned an auditor to me? Atong promised to deliver billions [of pesos] if he were to take charge of the entire Bingo Two-Ball operations. The president became the victim of his own greed.”

The following day, then Senate Minority Leader Teofisto Guingona, Jr. delivered a privilege speech accusing Estrada of receiving ?220 million in jueteng money from Singson from Nov. 1998 to Aug. 2000, and taking ?70 million excise tax money from cigarettes intended for Ilocos Sur. He allegedly received ?130 million in kickbacks released by then budget secretary Benjamin Diokno for tobacco farmers, while his wife Eloisa Ejercito’s foundation allegedly received ?100 million “to the detriment of regular beneficiaries.”

These were not all for the former movie actor. Estrada allegedly misused 52 smuggled luxury vehicles, and allegedly hid assets and bought mansions for his mistresses. The privilege speech was referred by then Senate President Franklin Drilon to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and the House of Representatives Committee on Justice for joint probe. Another committee in the House of Representatives decided to investigate the exposé, while other House members spearheaded a move to impeach the president. On Oct. 20, 2000, an early anti-Estrada rally was held in Naga City, led by former mayor Jesse Robredo, Mayor Sulpicio Roco Jr., and Ateneo de Naga president Joel Tabora, who demanded his resignation.

More calls for resignation came from Manila Cardinal Archbishop Jaime Sin, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), former Presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos, and Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (who had resigned her cabinet position of Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development). Cardinal Sin’s statement read, “In the light of the scandals that besmirched the image of the presidency, in the last two years, we stand by our conviction that he has lost the moral authority to govern.” More resignations came from Estrada’s cabinet and economic advisers, and other members of Congress defected from his ruling party.

On Nov. 13, 2000, the House of Representatives led by then Speaker Manuel Villar transmitted the Articles of Impeachment, signed by 115 representatives, to the Senate. This caused shakeups in the leadership of both chambers of Congress. The impeachment trial was formally opened on November 20, with twenty-one senators taking their oaths as judges, and Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. presiding. The trial began on December 7.

The day-to-day trial was covered on live television and received the highest viewing rating, mostly by the broadcasting giant ABS-CBN at the time. Among the highlights of the trial was the testimony of Clarissa Ocampo, senior vice president of Equitable PCI Bank, who testified that she was one foot away from Estrada when he signed the name “Jose Velarde” on documents involving a ?500 million investment agreement with their bank in Feb. 2, 2000. (Itutuloy)

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MGA PILING SALITA: “In the 1990s, it gave me great surprise to observe the proliferation of joints that sold lechon manok, shawarma, and Zagu, or pearls, drinks, or even pares joints. The sudden proliferation of carwash joints likewise surprised me. A little later, computer shops exploded in number. Now, I see the sudden explosion of pet grooming shops, veterinary clinics and even animal hospitals, courier service shops, and stores selling spare parts for China-made cheap motorcycles. There is also an increasing number of tattoo shops, vape shops and shops with self-serving laundry machines, and even shops for G-Cash. Times have changed, I told myself.” – PL, netizen, kritiko

“Is this true or false? The Sara camp has not addressed this question. It has not said anything about its veracity or falsity. It says: ‘Sara Duterte was quietly expelled from her post as an army colonel and dishonorably discharged. An AFP spokesperson said: ‘We cannot tolerate anyone in our ranks who pays New Year’s greetings to the enemy and does not otherwise make her position clear, also the Vice President.’ (sic)” – PL, netizen, kritiko

“Staying with journalism – despite its vexations or maybe because of them – is also ‘taking sides.’ Because when one strives to shine the light, one should know the sun sets too, that you’re just a speck in a complex universe of infinite struggle – and hope.” – Glenda Gloria, netizen, journalist