Erap to leaders: Make sacrifices

From his rest house in Tanay, Rizal, ousted president Joseph Estrada issued a statement yesterday to reiterate his call for "personal sacrifice" from those in positions of power to save the country from total collapse.

Estrada said he made this sacrifice in January 2001 when he took a leave of absence, which he now regrets because others had taken advantage of the situation to pursue their personal agenda.

Asked why his statement fell short of naming President Arroyo or directly asking her to step down and give up her post as her "personal sacrifice," Estrada replied it would be unstatesman-like of him to do so.

"I would like to remain a statesman and leave the decision for her to take," he said.

"I just quoted the statement of Ka Erdie and Bro. Mike Velarde. And besides, there is no position to give up in the first place," Estrada told The STAR, referring to Iglesia ni Cristo leader Eraño Manalo and Velarde, who leads the El Shaddai flock.

The two religious leaders earlier called on administration and opposition leaders to "set aside their political interests" and "immediately attend to their duty of alleviating the sufferings of the Filipino people, for which they were put into office."

Estrada maintains that he was unconstitutionally replaced by Mrs. Arroyo, who was then his vice president, through the mob rule that forced him to leave Malacañang in 2001.

He said he feels "vindicated" by a statement made by former President Corazon Aquino, who publicly admitted for the first time her regret that she supported Mrs. Arroyo’s assumption into office at the end of the EDSA II military-backed revolt in January 2001.

"In 2001, I, the duly elected President and constitutional Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, made the supreme sacrifice of leaving Malacañang Palace while on official leave, to prevent blood from being spilled in the streets, and with hope high in me that my sacrifice would not have been in vain and that, perhaps, the people would have been served better under an acting government," Estrada said in an official statement.

He lamented that his sacrifice may have been wasted, "with the economy having deteriorated, causing more of our masses to suffer too much and with the nation remaining deeply divided under a new leadership, creating an atmosphere of constant political bickering being experienced today."

Estrada said the political opposition "can hardly offer to even sacrifice a portion of that which they hold on to, because the opposition holds neither power nor position."

"Let us therefore more than heed the call of Brother Manalo and Brother Mike of today’s national leaders to offer that supreme sacrifice of giving up all that they believe is theirs to hold on to," he said.

Estrada added that if he had "more to offer by way of power and position, I would not hesitate to sacrifice all I can, and always for the Filipino masses, who I care deeply for, now and for all time."

Estrada has been under detention for the past four-and-a-half years while being tried for plunder at the Sandiganbayan.