Conditioning minds for slick acquittal - GOTCHA by Jarius Bondoc

They’ll do anything to quash Chavit Singson’s testimony in Joseph Estrada’s impeachment trial. On opening day, defense lawyers accused the whistle-blower of concocting the jueteng bribery story. When his time came to stand as witness, they tried to stop his direct examination by a private lawyer. Simultaneously at the other end of town, Estrada’s gofers at the House of Representatives assailed the congressmen-prosecutors’ use of private counsel. When these didn’t work, senator-judges themselves took turns cross-examining Singson. Two of them questioned wrong addition of entries in a ledger that Singson presented as evidence of monthly collections and disbursements.

If Estrada was there, he should’ve been the one bawling out not Singson but "auditor" Yolly Ricaforte for goofing on the job. But he was conveniently in Malacanang, belying Singson’s words not under oath but by merely emoting before television cameras. With tongue in cheek, he wished that he, too, could take to the witness stand.

But that isn’t the plan. His lawyers want him to steer clear of the trial and mess up their work. That’s why they tried to block journalist Twink Macaraig from presenting Estrada’s videotaped interview with foreign newsmen. In that tape, he admitted that his personal lawyer accepted P200 million from Ricaforte. They can’t afford any more extrajudicial confessions, much more direct admissions under cross-examination. So they just coach him on proper soundbites for the press: Deny that he ever signed a check as Jose Valhalla - his real first name and the US hospital where his eldest brother Emilio Jr. worked until 1998. Deny that his personal secretary Malou Florendo ever accepted P5 million cash for him from Singson’s secretary Emma Lim. Deny that he took another P5 million in check directly from Singson.

Meanwhile, the lawyers will strive to have Singson’s testimony stricken off the trial records. And they’ll strive even harder to stop the Senate from issuing subpoenas for documents from Equitable Bank and United Overseas Bank, which are crucial for the prosecutors’ second charge of graft and corruption.

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There’s a parallel plan. As the lawyers use legal technicalities and nitpicking to prevent evidence to surface, Malacanang propagandists are supposed to soften the ground for eventual acquittal. Crucial for this are the media, particularly AM radio, the widest source of news and opinion.

Already exposed is slick operator Ronaldo Puno’s use of over 200 telephone lines and sophisticated gadgets to call and swing radio-TV spot polls to Estrada’s favor. Exposed, too, is American PR-crisis manager Paul Bograd’s campaign to link Cardinal Jaime Sin, Cory Aquino, Fidel Ramos and Gloria Macapagal to jueteng and destabilization plots against Estrada. Then, there are the telephone brigades organized through agencies like the National Food Authority to bombard radio and TV talk shows with pro-Estrada comments. And, of course, million-peso surveys commissioned by Presidential Adviser Robert Aventajado – using money from only he knows where – to create a bandwagon that majority of Metro Manilans supposedly think Estrada is innocent.

New schemes include AM radio ads distributed by an association of broadcasters for airing every half-hour. In the ads, Estrada exhorts listeners to ignore accusations of bribery, graft, betraying public trust and violating the Constitution. At the same time, ads of protest and reform groups are shut out, again courtesy of Malacañang spies in the broadcasters’ union. Malacañang is even pressuring a radio-TV network to pull out its house ad that innocently has national leaders singing "peace on earth."

In Puno’s private office, which he reportedly shares with Press Undersecretary Mike Toledo, is a whiteboard. In red ink is written that they control 420 AM radio commentators, news directors and station managers nationwide. They bragged to a Macapagal adviser about unlimited budget. After all, it’s only for a limited time - the impeachment trial. The common message they instruct their "media assets" to carry, for now, is that the congressmen-prosecutors are a bumbling lot, that their evidence is weak, hence acquittal is certain. And, oh, that Estrada is a changed man (no matter what he says to the contrary), that he now reports for work before 8 a.m., that his midnight Cabinet is gone.

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But will they succeed? If they pull a slick acquittal, will Estrada still be able to govern? Will the public accept a verdict arising from suppressed evidence and testimonies?

As has been pointed out before, the economy will be the barometer of public reaction. This early, Finance Secretary Jose Pardo is admitting that foreign investors have scratched RP from their lists because of political instability. That instability stems not from protest rallies but Estrada’s fomenting of a class war, as gleaned from print ads of his rah-rah boys.

Too, the peso fell again in Thursday’s trading. This, because of continuing paid radio commentaries about the prosecution’s supposed weakness and Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora’s announcement of a post-acquittal scenario.

Banko Sentral Gov. Rafael Buenaventura is wondering aloud why Christmas dollar remittances of overseas workers have not yet arrived this late. His subordinates slowly are finding out that there’s a deliberate, though unorganized, effort to withhold their hard-earned money from an Estrada-run economy.

All this will worsen even more upon acquittal by deceit.

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INTERACTION. Essa Nasr Ahmar, msn.com: Your article on Pagbabago@Pilipinas sparked me to become part of such a movement (Gotcha, 11 Dec. 2000). I’m an employee of a multination Internet firm who would like to offer my services, free, to contribute to reform for the sake of my children.

Oswaldo Pacheco, Gurkuh, Ca.: How can I get in touch with P@P? Do they have a formal organization?

P@P’s website is still in the works, Essa, Oswaldo. I’ll announce it as soon as it’s on. I’m told of exciting info, visuals and music.

Dennis Garcia, MD, San Pedro, Laguna: By calling Erap godsent, Butz Aquino implies that God also sent us Marcos (Gotcha, 9 Dec. 2000). So why did he fight him? God allows things to happen thru our free will, but it does not mean He approves of everything that happens. It’s okay for Butz to sound religious, but next time around I suggest he studies – better still, lives – his religion.

Ched Arzadon, digitelone.com: Butz’s (and Mike Velarde’s) delusions remind me of the time I was active in a Bible study group. The leaders pounded into our heads that we should pray for and support Marcos lest "those godless communists" take over. They forgot that God himself spoke against oppression.

Cecilia Chiongbian, mozcom.com: With Butz’s speech and Tessie’s balato, these siblings of Ninoy Aquino aren’t the Filipinos worth dying for.

Jay Entruda, Iowa: Erap doesn’t tire of saying he has a clear conscience, while Nene Pimentel keeps claiming he has an independent mind (Gotcha, 6 Dec. 2000). Really?

Cristina C. Romero, admu.edu: Someone should ask pro-Erap marchers, who call themselves mahihirap, where they get money to buy uniform T-shirts and numerous streamers.

Robert Cruz, aol.com: Jinggoy Estrada says Filipinos here in the US don’t believe charges against his father. He should go to Filipino communities in West Covina or Carson to find out what our sentiments are.

Domingo Dioso, Paranaque: Estelito Mendoza says he’d put more weight on the covenant of more than 10 million Filipinos who voted for Erap that the impeachment charges are not serious enough to remove him from office. How about the 23 million who didn’t vote for him?

Bobby Gochangco, edsamail.com: It may take 15-16 votes to remove him from office, but it will take only 12 (majority) votes to find him guilty.

Tony Reyes, Everett, Wa.: If Erap is acquitted by loyalist senators of impeachment charges, he should still be prosecuted in court.

Renato V. de Leon, edsamail.com: Is it true that the real reason why Erap wants to repeal the death penalty is because the Supreme Court is about to affirm the sentences of many big-time Chinese drug traffickers?

Probably as untrue, Renato, as suspicions that he’ll repeal it to escape lethal injection in case of conviction for plunder. Then again . . . hmm.

Thank you, Don Hernandez, Aida Aguas, Sheldon Tate, Luz Paje, Soc Conti, Pepeton Anton, R.D. Mamisay, Ariel Rabe, Jojo Almin, Boy C. Gaa Jr., Atty. Rodolfo A. Lat, Jojo Cerezo, Susan Guledew-Foronda, Juan Ventura, Danny Urmaza, Arnold Cordero, Dominador Mungcal, Ariosto Zafranco, Tom Achacoso, Jake Jimenez, Nestor Marcelo, Rene Cruz, Ross Gabino, Ferdie Sibal, Myrna Fantonalgo, Roberto Torres.

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