Return of People Power?

Return of People Power?

The People Power revolution may likely recur in the
Philippines if the court trial of President Joseph Estrada's
corruption charges fails to bring justice to the more than 72
million people of the Philippines.

Already, tens of thousands took to the streets in Manila on
Wednesday, protesting a Senate decision that apparently cleared
Estrada of the serious charges that have tainted his image over
the past few months, following accusations by his one-time
friend, Luis Singson, that the president had received kickbacks
amounting to hundreds of millions of pesos from illegal gambling
syndicates.

Although Estrada has denied the charges and insisted on his
innocence, most of the witnesses in the ongoing impeachment
trial, which began last December, have provided incriminating
evidence of his involvement in the scam, including bank accounts
which he reportedly opened under a false name to cover up his
real wealth and the illegal earnings he allegedly received from
the gambling bosses. Worse still, it was revealed during the
trial that Estrada apparently spent some of the kickbacks on
buying luxurious mansions for his mistresses.

This, obviously, is an irony and a great contrast to the
Estrada, who in July 1998, was appointed the 13th president of
the Philippines because of his pledge to bring greater democracy
and prosperity to his people. Estrada, known then as the champion
of the poor, also promised to give a greater share of his
country's wealth to the marginalized majority of Filipinos and
not merely to the handful of people in the Makati Business Club.

Now that millions of Filipinos feel that their country's
judicial system has been corrupted by a few senator-judges in the
trial, it stands to reason that a wave of anti-Estrada protests
have taken place in a number of the country's major cities. The
people feel betrayed by the very man they trusted three years ago
to bring them justice and prosperity.

The demonstrations, which have been taking place virtually on
a daily basis, have been staged by the powerful and politically
active Roman Catholic church led by Cardinal Jaime Sin, former
president Corazon Aquino -- who led the People Power revolution
herself and succeeded in overthrowing dictator Ferdinand Marcos
nearly two decades ago -- Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,
business associations and trade unions, with all calling for
Estrada's resignation.

Although Estrada's received strong backup from the Senate, the
indignant but peaceful protests on Wednesday, which Defense
Secretary Orlando Mercado referred to as "political dynamics",
were living proof of the people's distrust of Estrada and have
shook the country's financial markets. The Philippine peso
plunged 5.3 percent to a new all-time low of 55.75 against the
dollar, according to news reports.

It is true that legally speaking Estrada has not been
convicted but it is also true that morally he has been judged
guilty by his own people.

With such a battered image, Estrada will certainly not be able
to govern his country effectively and wisely. Wouldn't it be
better for him to step down now in an honorable way than to be
ousted in disgrace by the power of a popular revolution, as has
been hinted at by his own predecessor, Fidel Ramos?

A smooth and peaceful transition of power is important not
only to the people of the Philippines but also to the people of
the region, particularly those grouped in the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations.