MANILA, 22 June 2006 — Jailed former Philippine President Joseph Estrada yesterday said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo should face the planned impeachment complaint against her squarely if she is really innocent of the charges being raised against her.
“If she has not done anything wrong as she claims, she should not be afraid to face the impeachment trial court in the Senate,” Estrada said.
Estrada made the challenge after a lawyer of Arroyo vowed to block a plan by opposition lawmakers to file a new impeachment complaint.
Romulo Macalintal, Arroyo’s lawyer on the impeachment case, said they are ready to delay the impeachment effort by at least a year with a legal technicality.
Although the House of Representatives dismissed last year’s impeachment bids, the complaints have not been terminated because the Supreme Court could still decide to revive them, Makalintal said.
Arroyo survived an impeachment attempt on vote-rigging and corruption allegations in September when her dominant allies in the lower house of Congress blocked three complaints on a technicality. Some opposition members questioned the dismissal with the Supreme Court, but it hasn’t ruled yet.
Arroyo has been hounded by accusations she cheated her way to victory in the 2004 elections as well as allegations of corruption raised against her family. Lately, she has also been blamed for the killings that have claimed the lives of hundreds of activists.
Estrada said the president should follow his lead in letting the impeachment proceed.
“I let our due process prevail. I did not talk to any congressman (even if some) are even railroading the complaint against me,” Estrada said.
Estrada was impeached on plunder and corruption charges but was ousted in early 2001 by a popular uprising after allies in the Senate voted to prevent the opening of an envelope thought to contain be crucial evidence.
The former leader said the country cannot move forward if the truth is kept.
“The people want to find out the truth. Only the truth will set us free. Anyone who is afraid of the truth is the person who is not qualified to govern,” he added.
Other political rivals have warned that unless Arroyo fully answers the allegations against her, a yearlong political impasse will drag on and could force some groups to resort to a coup attempt.
While refusing to quit, Arroyo has denied any wrongdoing but has refused to answer the allegations in detail.
The constitution allows only one impeachment proceeding against a president in a year, so opposition lawmakers and anti-Arroyo groups said last month they would file a new complaint after the current one-year limit ends on June 26.
