Fernando R. Cabigao
RIDING on the crests and troughs of the rough seas of Philippine politics, ousted President, now Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito “Erap” Estrada, has once again emerged atop the waves. Less than three years into his presidency, Erap in January 20, 2001, was forced out of office for graft and corruption. Two months later, he was charged for plunder under Republic Act 7080 before the Sandiganbayan, and was immediately put on hospital, then house arrest.
It took the Sandiganbayan six years to find him guilty of all the charges and sentenced Estrada to reclusion perpetua. He was ordered to return to the government the principal amount of P734.3 million, and all interests and other income earned from it. The anti-graft court also forfeited his Quezon City property, dubbed by the media the “Boracay Mansion,” in favor of the government. The law also perpetually barred him from holding any public office.
PHOTO from Joseph Ejercito Estrada’s Facebook page
But just over a month of Erap’s conviction, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo granted him absolute pardon, fully restoring his civil and political rights—and a chance to once again ride the political waves. While he promised—verbally—that he will never seek any public office again, he conveniently ignored this and ran for president in the 2010 elections. He, of course, lost but only to President Benigno Aquino III.
Looking for another political wave to ride on, Estrada ran for mayor of Manila in the 2013 elections, in the face of petitions filed before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to disqualify him on the basis of his plunder conviction. The Comelec dismissed the petitions and Erap won the election.
Meanwhile, the disqualification case reached the Supreme Court when Erap’s political rival, Alfredo Lim, in a motion dated June 7, 2013, asked the High Court to overturn the Comelec’s decision. The court however, sustained the electoral commission. In its ruling handed down January 21 this year, the High Court stressed that Estrada’s civil and political rights have been fully restored with the granting of the absolute pardon by Arroyo. Thus, he was qualified to run in the 2013 elections.
Having this matter finally settled by no less than the Supreme Court, will Estrada once again ride the waves of the 2016 presidential election?
Read our stories about Estrada on the PCIJ Storify page.