Charges against Estrada will be pursued — De Villa

The government will pursue charges against ousted President Joseph Estrada even if he goes on exile, Executive Secretary Renato de Villa said yesterday.

But Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin refused anew to take a stand on the issue, which he said would only divide the country.

In a radio interview, De Villa said the ousted leader would still be required to return to the Philippines and go to court when charges are filed against him.

"The investigations will continue. And when the time comes that he has to face the court, he will have to come home," he said.

Estrada will make his first public appearance since his ouster from office last Jan. 20 when he addresses the convention of his Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan tomorrow.

"His speech is something we should look forward to because he will tell a lot of things which the Filipino people should know," the PMP Media Bureau said in a statement.

The other day, President Arroyo said the option of exile would be left in the hands of Estrada. Government prosecutors have begun criminal proceedings against the ousted president on several graft charges, including plunder, which carries the death penalty.

De Villa pointed out that the former president has not given any indications that he wants to stay in another country.

Sin, considered the country’s most influential Church leader, said groups for and against exile should find a common concern for the good of the nation.

"Let us not be divided by the issue of exile. Political stability and pursuit of justice can go together," Sin said in a statement.

Those seeking the exile of Estrada, including the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), claim his presence could be used as a rallying point for destabilizing the administration while those who want him to stay are concerned about serving justice.

The Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR) rejected yesterday calls by the CBCP to send the ousted leader into foreign exile.

PCPR, a congregation of Protestant groups, said the option of exile is contrary to the people’s quest for genuine justice.

PCPR secretary general Robert de Castro urged the Arroyo administration to reject any proposal for an exile, saying Estrada was no longer a threat to the stability of the new government.

"Have faith in the people. They will frustrate any attempt by Estrada to wrest power anew," De Castro said.

He demanded the immediate prosecution of the deposed leader and the speedy implementation of democratic reforms. – Liberty Dones, Sandy Araneta, Mayen Jaymalin, Sheila Crisostomo