No pardon for Estrada, says RP government

No pardon for Estrada, says RP government

MANILA (AFP): Ousted Philippines leader Joseph Estrada can
expect no pardon from a new government which wants him jailed for
corruption, Justice Secretary Hernando Perez said on Friday.

Estrada, toppled in a popular uprising last month, is fighting
to avoid arrest and has asked the Supreme Court to recognize him
as the legitimate president and grant him immunity from lawsuits.
He alleges he was illegally ousted.

But the government of his successor, Gloria Arroyo, has
received backing from abroad and on Friday won plaudits from a
group of U.S. Republican congressmen.

Government lawyers were due to file charges against Estrada
next week but the Supreme Court has blocked the move for 30 days
while it evaluated his plea.

"The grant of pardons is the prerogative of the president, but
I don't think he will get one," Perez said on DZMM radio. "If a
high government official is found guilty of wrongdoing and he
gets a pardon instead of serving the sentence, what kind of
example are we setting? It would encourage future presidents to
steal."

State ombudsman Aniano Desierto has said there was sufficient
evidence to indict Estrada on charges ranging from plunder to or
large-scale corruption which is punishable by death.

Desierto was set to file criminal charges against Estrada next
week but the high court order has gagged him.

"What I think would happen is that he (Estrada) would first
have to be imprisoned. After a while, he would be considered for
pardon," Justice Secretary Perez said.

Arroyo on Wednesday pledged to pursue those engaged in
corruption during the Estrada regime.

"We are required to bring justice to those who violated the
trust of the people," Arroyo said in a speech to businessmen.
"There can be no healing without cleansing. There can be no
reconciliation without justice."

U.S. Republican congressmen Dana Rohrabacher, Darrell Issa and
Roger Wicker of Mississippi called on Arroyo earlier on Friday
and endorsed the legitimacy of her government.

They said Arroyo was "totally legitimate in her authority,"
and that Estrada was ousted ecause he "sold out" the interest of
the Filipinos.

"The current president has legal authority and the United
States government and other governments have fully recognized
that authority," a palace statement quoted the three as saying.

Estrada's lawyer, Rene Saguisag meanwhile warned he will ask
the Supreme Court to cite in contempt Desierto for allegedly
ignoring an earlier order preventing him from speaking about the
corruption cases being readied against the ex-president.

Saguisag said he would put Desierto on "probation" and that a
contempt motion will be filed soon depending "on his behavior in
the next few days."

"He shouldn't be talking at all on all these. It's prohibited.
His behaviour is out of line," Saguisag told reporters.

Estrada on Friday also asked Desierto to take himself out of
the corruption inquiry because he has allegedly made statements
already implying guilt.

"This would prove that this man should inhibit himself because
he has made false statements. You can see that Desierto is not
fair," Estrada said over radio station DZEC run by a religious
sect that backs him.