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PROADMINISTRATION lawmakers on Friday hit efforts of jailed
ex-President Joseph Estrada’s camp to discredit President Arroyo
and the judiciary in light of its allegations that Mrs. Arroyo was
pressuring the Sandiganbayan to convict him on his plunder case
after the midterm polls.
Reps. Douglas Cagas of Davao del
Sur and Antonio Cuenco of Cebu City, both lawyers, described such an
allegation an outright lie to preempt the looming decision on
Estrada’s case.
Cagas and Cuenco, in a joint
statement, noted Estrada was obviously playing a two-way game:
work double-time getting the Genuine Opposition slate elected so it
can pressure the judiciary and the government to release him; and
let loose his propaganda dogs of war to discredit a looming guilty
verdict from the Sandiganbayan.
“It is obviously fed by
Erap’s camp for public mind conditioning. They want to convince
the public that in the event the ex-President is convicted, it’s
not based on evidence but due to GMA’s pressure. This is their
prepared excuse in case Erap is handed a guilty verdict by the
Sandiganbayan,” Cagas noted.
On the other hand, Cuenco,
chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, said the
allegation indeed was baseless.
“If the President wants it that
way, the trial would not have run on for six years. This is an
affront to the special division justices, making them look like they
would sacrifice justice just to get better positions. The opposition
should instead laud the justices for focusing diligently on Erap’s
case onto its final resolution soon,” Cuenco said, noting that the
opposition and Estrada’s camp are obviously growing anxious about
a possible conviction of the deposed President..
--Maricel V. Cruz
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