Ex-CJ Davide a ‘political butterfly’

CEBU, Philippines - Senator Jose Pimentel Ejercito, Jr., better known as  Jinggoy  Ejercito Estrada, lambasted former Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. during the proclamation rally of One Cebu Party in the third district Monday evening in Toledo City.

Estrada endorsed the candidacy of suspended Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia for congresswoman in the third district to replace Rep. Pablo John “PJ” Garcia who is running for governor against Davide’s son, former Cebu City councilor Hilario “Junjun” Davide III of the Liberal Party.

Estrada is impressed by the performance of Pablo John in Congress and as a bar topnotcher.

“Hindi katulad nang kanyang kalaban, katunggali, laging nakatago sa ilalim ng saya nang kanyang ama,” Estrada said.

Pablo John earlier criticized his opponent for using the popularity of his father to crank up his candidacy for the May 2013 elections.

Estrada described the former magistrate as “political butterfly”.

His father, then President Joseph “Erap” Estrada appointed Davide as Chief Justice.

When Erap was impeached, Davide served under the administration of then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and was later appointed permanent ambassador to the United Nations.

After Arroyo’s term ended, Davide joined the Liberal Party when his son, Junjun, ran for governor in the 2010 elections under the party of President Benigno Aquino III.

An impeachment complaint was filed against Davide in Congress in 2003 over alleged anomalies in the use of the Judiciary Development Fund (JDF) but was not put on trial.

Jinggoy said that Arroyo defended Davide when the impeachment complaint was filed.

“Kung ano po ang puno siya na rin ang bunga. Kaya huwag po natin iboboto ang katunggali ni PJ Garcia,” Jinggoy said.

In an interview, the former Supreme Court Chief  Justice described Estrada’s remarks as ‘misleading and deceiving’.

“I have never been a political butterfly in my life,” said Davide.

He said that in his 40 years of service, 15 of which in the SC, he has never joined any political party except when he helped organize the Pusyon Bisaya, which was aimed to fight the Marcos Regime.

Davide said it is only now that he is strongly campaigning for one party, the Liberal party of President Aquino.

But while in service, Davide stressed that his loyalty was not to any political party even during the time when he was a member of the Constitutional Convention and Constitutional Commission from the 70s to the 80’s as well as chairman of the Commission on Election and the Presidential Fact-Finding Commission.

He said he was only loyal to the country and the people.

“I never shifted from one administration to another. It just happened that during my public service, various administration from Diosdado Macapagal to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed power,” said Davide adding that he does not owe anything to these administrations.

Aside from Jinggoy, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and senatorial candidate, former Senator Ernesto Maceda of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), also endorsed the Garcias.

Enrile, whose son, Rep. Jack Enrile is running for senator under UNA, said that the victory of the Garcias would prove that Malacañang was wrong when they suspended the governor.

Maceda, for his part, said Aquino suspended Gov. Garcia to allow an official allied with LP to sit at the Capitol to help their candidates.

He said that if the Cebuanos do not agree with the suspension of Garcia, they must not choose LP candidates.

 â€œPara maipakita nyo sa Malacañang na hindi tama yung kanilang ginawa, para maipakita n’yo kay PNoy na inapi kayong lahat hindi lang si Gwen ngunit lahat na bumoto kay Gwen, para maipakita kay PNoy na hindi pwedeng insultohin nalang kayo nang ganun sa pamagitan ng suspension,” Maceda said. —(FREEMAN)