Hurt that the latest controversy to rock his term linked his son and his First Lady to charity sweepstakes fund misuse, Joseph Estrada cried: "My mother's probably next. They really won't let up on us."
Who is "they"? Why would they target the President's mom next? What is it that they won't let up on them?
Is there another plot to destabilize Estrada's reign? By whom -- Sr. Christine Tan, who wrote an open letter about her unceremonious removal from the sweepstakes board, and other sacked officials like social worker Maria Feria, Peace Commissioner Ulan Sarmiento and former Supreme Court justice Cecilia Munoz Palma?
That can't be. Palma was one of Estrada's first appointees. He'd just been proclaimed winner of the 1998 election when he asked her to lead his Charter review committee; after all, she had led the 1986 Constitutional Commission under Cory Aquino. Estrada just threw in the sweepstakes chairmanship because of Palma's work with the Cancer Society.
Sarmiento was with the Con-Com that drafted the Constitution that Estrada now wants to change. He had also worked with the team that Fidel Ramos assigned to talk peace with communist rebels in 1996.
Feria and Tan have been social workers all their adult lives. Estrada had taken them in to fulfill his "Erap para sa Mahirap" election promise. They can't be "destabilizers" now.
Somebody in Estrada's innermost circle is probably feeding him dossiers and intelligencers on supposed plotters. That somebody probably knows all too well how the President's mind works, and thus thrives on such reports to stay in his good graces. Unfortunately, Estrada keeps gobbling up the shit this intelligence analyst dishes out.
Still, how can a Catholic nun, a peace negotiator with communists, a well-to-do social worker, and an octogenarian retired justice be plotting to topple a President they worked for? Are they infiltrators from the combined communist-Muslim secessionist -- big business elite that Estrada says are manipulating priests, politicians and the press to destroy him?
Oh, maybe that's it. Since Tan is a nun, then she must be colluding with those pesky bishops who criticize Estrada's every move, right? Since Sarmiento had rubbed elbows with Filipino communists in Europe, their revolution must have rubbed off on him. Since Feria comes from a rich family, she's "elite". As for Palma, wasn't she a part-time politician, a campaigner for Jovito Salonga in 1992 and Alfredo Lim in 1998?
Aha, no wonder that opposition politicians Heherson Alvarez and Ernesto Herrera readily pounced on the sweepstakes issue. No wonder the press printed Tan's open letter. They're all in on it. That's what Estrada sees. That's why he said "they". "They" all are out to persecute him.
Speaking of Salonga, there must be more grist for the dossier and intelligencer writer's mill. Salonga is head of Kilosbayan, the group that warned Estrada against pressuring SEC chairman Perfecto Yasay into clearing presidential pal Dante Tan in the BW price manipulation case. Palma, Tan and Sarmiento, probably even Feria, were with Kilosbayan at one time or another.
Oho, the plot thickens. No wonder Vice President Gloria Macapagal is likening the BW scam to the sweepstakes mess. Talking for the first time about administration misdeeds, the LAKAS chief says the stock market and sweepstakes scandals both will make people lose trust in government. And what timing! She's saying this when Estrada's poll rating is at its lowest. Indeed, they're all out to get him.
But wait, isn't Sen. Nene Pimentel the No. 2 man of Kilosbayan? He can't be in on the plot. Why, Estrada asked him only this week to look into the firetruck scam. And isn't Rene Saguisag also with Kilosbayan? He, too, can't be part of the plot? Why, he headed the Estrada group that accused Fidel Ramos of overpricing the Centennial Expo. Estrada's intelligence analyst had better not put those in his report. It'll only confuse the Boss.
Yet the question nags: Weren't Salonga, Pimentel and Saguisag -- along with Palma and Sarmiento -- Liberal Party leaders or allies? No wonder LP congressman Michael Defensor keeps hitting Estrada, too.
Then again, LP leaders Wigberto Tanada, Butch Abad, Noynoy Aquino, Romeo Candazo, Nereus Acosta are part of the administration coalition in Congress. Could they be infiltrators, too -- sleepers who will soon break away in a grand plot to embarrass Estrada? They must include new Trade and Industry Secretary Mar Roxas, who had once headed the LP bloc as House Majority Leader, and Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, who had once served as LP president.
Omigosh, they're coming to take him away...
...But wait, isn't First lady Loi Ejercito a psychiatrist? Maybe she can do something about this paranoia.
INTERACTION. Monsi Serrano, hotmail.com: No matter what he does, Erap can't change his image (Gotcha, 15 Mar. 2000). He can't control his pals.
Nor his temper, Monsi.
Antonio A. Diaz, esdamail.com: It's now a habit for officials to cry "destabilizer" at those who question them. The firetrucks, BW, PCSO, what next?
If I answer you, Antonio, they'll again say I'm with a 3-D plot.
Benjamin Alvarez, BF-Paranaque: Congress, like the PSE old boys club, will not dare look into Sr. Christine's expose on PCSO (Gotcha, 13 Mar. 2000). Their fingers are dipped in the PCSO bowl.
Tom Cruz, Germany: Siphoning of funds from PCSO reminds us of Marcos thievery -- but in the 21st century?
Alexander So, philonline.com: Is a reporter accountable for what he writes? Is a reporter morally bound to verify the truth?
Nilo Orocio, aol.com: Why can't the Erap administration prove critics wrong by doing the right thing? Action speaks louder than (propaganda) words.
Arlyne Ocampo, hotmail.com: Readers are suggesting drastic measures to get back at oil companies (Interaction, 13 Mar. 2000). Why can't the Estrada admin use its immense talent pool to come up with practical ways to ease the Pinoy's daily hardships, instead of supposedly begging on his knees?
Vicki J.L., portalinc.com: Re the confrontational mien (Gotcha, 11 Mar. 2000), government in RP has taken on a dubious color and revolting meaning. People of integrity are being booted out. He who lacks brains is contagious.
Who's "he", Vicki?
Thank you, Jeng Dizon, F4echo of pinoymail.com, Victor Gaudencio, Ricardo Villaflor, Pete Lacaba, Francis Apura, Joe Cool, Leslie Bocobo, Rene Catal, Victor Sumagaysay, Chew of aol.com, Dely Sidiongco, Jose Marie Banzon, Mary Xavier, Manuel Diaz, Philip Eano.
An initial 50 Manila doctors now get their Philhealth refunds for professional fees via the nearest Land Bank ATM. Philhealth president Enrique Zalamea introduced the Bank Automatic Credit Payment to speed up refunds to doctors who treat Philhealth member-patients, and cut down tedious check preparation. The system will eventually cover all accredited Philhealth doctors in Metro Manila private hospitals.
YOUR BODY. This may be a good argument against divorce: A new study finds that divorced and separated men are two-and-a-half times more likely to commit suicide than married men.
You can e-mail comments to jariusbondoc@workmail.com or, if about his daily morning radio editorials, to dzxlnews@hotmail.com