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For the past 21 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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MANILA -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo granted pardon to Joseph Estrada, the 70-year-old deposed leader, following a recommendation by the Department of Justice, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said in a press conference on national television.
Reading from the pardon order signed by the President, Bunye said the pardon was granted after Estrada publicly agreed not to pursue any other elective office.
It is also part of Arroyo's policy of releasing prisoners who have reached 70 years of age and in recognition of Estrada's six years in detention, much of it under house arrest, Bunye said.
With the pardon, “Estrada has been restored his civil and political rights,” Bunye read.
But Bunye said the forfeiture decision imposed by the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court remained in force, "including all writs and processes issued by the Sandiganbayan … except for the bank accounts he owned before his tenure as President."
The President’s order in full:
“Whereas, this Administration has a policy of releasing inmates who have reached the age of seventy (70),
“Whereas, Joseph Ejercito Estrada has been under detention for six and a half years,
“Whereas, Joseph Ejercito Estrada has publicly committed to no longer seek any elective position or office,
“In view hereof and pursuant to the authority conferred upon me by the Constitution, I hereby grant executive clemency to Joseph Ejercito Estrada, convicted by the Sandiganbayan of plunder and imposed a penalty of reclusion perpetua. He is hereby restored to his civil and political rights.
“The forfeitures imposed by the Sandiganbayan remain in force and in full, including all writs and processes issued by the Sandiganbayan in pursuance hereof, except for the bank account(s) he owned before his tenure as President.”
Bunye made no mention of the political pressure being exerted by Estrada supporters for release following his sentence of life imprisonment earlier this year for massive graft.
The pardon came amid allegations by some groups that the move was a "political accommodation" to Estrada.
The chief government prosecutor and lawyers who won the plunder case against Estrada also opposed the move by the Palace, saying "the timing is not good" and “too early.”
But Malacañang officials said granting pardon to Estrada was a reconciliatory move that could finally pave the way to unity.
Estrada, who was sentenced to life in prison by the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court on September 12 for plunder, told the anti-graft court on Monday that he was dropping a motion for reconsideration on his verdict and would seek "full, free, and unconditional" pardon from Arroyo.
The President was reportedly elated when she was told of Estrada's decision.
The Sandiganbayan Tuesday granted Estrada's motion to waive his right to appeal his conviction. Dropping the appeal makes the court's decision final and paves the way for the process of initiating a presidential pardon. (MNS)
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MANILA-- An explosion that killed up to eight people at a shopping mall in Makati City early Friday afternoon was "probably caused by a bomb," Philippine National Police Director General Avelino Razon said.
Alfonso Reyes, spokesman of Ayala Corp., which operates the Glorieta 2 Mall where the explosion occurred at around 1:40 p.m., said eight people had been killed.
Dr. Anthony Golez, spokesman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council and deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defense, said from the Makati Medical Center that there were four dead and 66 wounded at the hospital.
Earlier, Golez quoted Philippine National Red Cross figures saying up to 70 persons had been injured.
Police investigators at the scene of the explosion identified four of the dead as Liza Marquez, Jose Allan de Jesus, Lester Peregrina and nursing student Janine Marcos. All died of shrapnel injuries.
At an earlier press briefing carried live by radio and television, Dr. Ernesto Santos of the Makati Medical Center said the four fatalities were “dead on arrival” and at least two of the wounded were “critical,” he added.
Santos said the other casualties all suffered “blast injuries.”
Asked to describe the fatalities at the Makati Medical Center, Golez said they died due to "burns and massive internal bleeding."
"It doesn't look good," he said.
Razon said: "From our assessment this is not what was initially reported as LPG (liquefied petroleum gas).”
"This was a bomb. But beyond that we can't say anything else yet because we are still investigating. What I can say is it was not LPG that caused this."
“We actually picked up several dead and wounded,” Makati Councilor Erwin Binay said. The explosion had panicked shoppers running out of the mall as smoke billowed out of the building.
Mall security and police immediately sealed off the area and shepherded people away as ambulances rushed in to evacuate casualties.
People leaving the mall said said they felt the whole shopping complex shake as from an earthquake as the “strong” explosion happened in the area between the Glorietta 1 and 2 buildings. They also said they saw windows shatter from the blast.
Television footage showed several vehicles parked by the walkway between the two buildings damaged by debris.
Binay said roads to hospitals in the city have been secured as rescue teams continued to scour the area where the explosion occurred, which the councilor described as “severely damaged,” for more possible victims.
“We’ll keep the area evacuated until we know more,” Reyes said.
He also assured the victims and their relatives of assistance from Ayala Corp.
“We will certainly makes sure [that] anyone [who] needs attention will be able to get it,” Reyes said. (MNS)
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