GMA’s birthday wish for Estrada: Peace of mind

"Peace of mind."

This is President Arroyo’s birthday wish for deposed President Joseph Estrada, who turns 65 tomorrow and will celebrate his birthday for the first time in detention at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City.

"Be peaceful or else..." is what she tells rabid loyal Estrada supporters who plan to hold demonstrations starting today until May 1 to celebrate the anniversary of the Labor Day siege on Malacanang last year.

Speaking in her regular program on Radyo Bombo yesterday, the President expressed her wishes for her predecessor on his 65th birthday. "My birthday wish for former President Estrada is peace of mind," she said.

In her informal luncheon press conference at Malacanang yesterday, Mrs. Arroyo reassured Estrada loyalists that law enforcement authorities will observe "mega-tolerance" in dealing with rowdy demonstrators from their ranks.

Her administration, she recalled, allowed the Estrada loyalists the freedom of assembly and expression during the so-called Edsa III rallies at the Edsa Shrine in April last year. The rallies culminated in the May 1 dawn attack of rallyists on Malacanang which left at least four people dead and hundreds injured.

"I would like to remind the supporters of the former President that for five days last year they were allowed to protest (in) what they called as Edsa III at the Edsa Shrine. While it was peaceful, we allowed it," the President said.

"But once they turned violent, it was only then that our law enforcers dispersed them. So I would like to appeal to them, if they want to conduct protest rallies, it must be peaceful," the President exhorted.

It does not matter if they are one million, as long as they do not do anything violent, and "kill only my character but not me myself," the President said laughing. "It’s campaign time anyway, everybody’s attacking everybody. But the moment they become violent, then they face the full force of the law."

She noted, though, that the organizers have assured police authorities they will keep their demonstrations peaceful.

The President clarified that the "no permit, no rally" policy is a local government policy announced by Manila Mayor Lito Atienza.

Meanwhile, the Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) decried yesterday government effort to maneuver the trial of Estrada into another political showcase to douse swelling public support for Estrada during the celebration of his 65th birthday tomorrow.

PMP spokesman Jesus Crispin Remulla said the prosecution’s presentation of Equitable-PCI Bank lawyer Manuel Curato today to be followed on Friday by Clarissa Ocampo, is a clear "ploy" by the government "to subvert growing public support for Estrada and... embarrass him on his birthday."

There will be nothing new in what Curato and Ocampo will say, Remulla pointed out, as Estrada had already said he signed the bank documents as Jose Velarde.

For his part, Raymund Fortun, former Estrada defense counsel turned spokesman, revealed that two members of the prosecution panel tried to coerce Yolanda Ricaforte into testifying against Estrada when they visited the Ricaforte residence in Los Angeles during the last visit of Mrs. Arroyo in the US.

He identified one of the prosecutors as a private prosecutor with links to former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson. — Marichu Villanueva