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Erap on pardon: I don’t owe Arroyo anything


I don’t owe her anything. This was the statement of former President Joseph “Erap" Estrada on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo despite the presidential pardon given to him three years ago. “Siya ang may may utang na loob dahil inagawan ako ng puwesto (She’s the one who owe me because she stole the presidency from me)," Estrada said when he took the hot seat on GMA News’ election show “Kandidato," which was aired Wednesday night. He said Malacañang had asked him to issue a written apology in exchange for his pardon, but he declined it. He also denied that he asked for his pardon. “Wala akong kasunduan na ganoon at hindi ako humingi sa kaniya ng pardon. Pinasusulat pa nga ako, pero ayaw ko [I never made any agreement, and I never asked for her pardon. I was made to write my apology, but I refused]," he said. Estrada said President Arroyo probably pardoned him because “she was moved by her conscience" over “a miscarriage of justice." Another shot at the presidency Estrada is running for president under the Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) banner on May 10. In 2001, Estrada, then accused of corruption, was forced to step down from Malacañang after only two years in office due to a massive street uprising calling for his resignation. He was detained for six years, was convicted of plunder in September 2007, but was pardoned a month later. During the “Kandidato" interview, Estrada said he doubted the credibility of the Sandiganbayan’s special division that convicted him, claiming it was not able to prove he stole government money. He insisted that he never committed any wrongdoing, including pillaging government coffers. He added that he only told lies when he was a child. “During my childhood, may times na sa mama ko, nagsisinungaling ako kaya madalas ako mapingot (there were times when I lied to my mother, who twisted my ears as punishment)," he said. Boracay mansion The deposed leader then denied ownership of the infamous Boracay mansion, adding that his greatest extravagance was only eating out with his friends. The controversial mansion, located in Quezon City, is being auctioned by the government for P142.9-million. It was said to be the residence of Estrada’s mistress, Laarni Enriquez. The Sandiganbayan ordered the forfeiture of the property after Estrada’s conviction. The anti-graft court found that Estrada bought property using P142 million that came from jueteng, a popular illegal numbers game. The Boracay mansion was so named because the property’s swimming pool was surrounded by fine white sand that was brought from Boracay Island in Malay, Aklan. - KBK, GMANews.TV

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