Noynoy, Villar helped Arroyo stay in power, says Erap son
For supposedly contributing to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyoâs rise to power, presidential aspirants Manuel Villar Jr. and Benigno âNoynoy" Aquino III should apologize to the public and to former President Joseph âErap" Estrada. This was according to Estradaâs camp led by his son, San Juan City Mayor Jose Victor âJV" Ejercito, the vice president of the opposition party Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) in Luzon. "Why donât they (Aquino, Villar) first admit they were wrong in contributing to President Estradaâs ouster and installing [President] Gloria to power? Why donât they admit this was the reason why the Filipinos have been suffering for nine years under the Arroyo regime," Ejercito read a prepared statement at a press conference on Wednesday. He was referring to the second EDSA People Power Revolution in 2001 that led to Estradaâs downfall and the rise of then Vice President Arroyo to the presidency. Estrada was then being accused of corruption. In late 2000, Villar, then House Speaker and Las Piñas representative, became instrumental in Estradaâs fall from power when he transmitted to the Senate the impeachment complaint against Estrada. The massive street uprising in January 2001 ensued after Estradaâs allies in the Senate impeachment court voted not to open an envelope that supposedly contained incriminating information against the deposed leader. In the May 2001 elections, Villar ran and won as senator under the administration ticket. This year, he is running for president and is projecting himself as an opposition candidate amid speculations that he is President Arroyoâs secret candidate. Navotas City Mayor Toby Tiangco, who joined Ejercito at the press conference in Mandaluyong City, said Aquino had been a âprotector" of President Arroyo during the height of the âHello Garci" scandal in 2005. The scandal refers to the alleged wiretapped conversations where vote-rigging in the 2004 elections was discussed by a woman presumed to be President Arroyo and a man presumed to be former Commission on Election (Comelec) Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano. Tiangco said that when Congress investigated the alleged election fraud, Aquino, then Tarlac representative, was among those who voted against playing the controversial tapes. Back then, the Aquino family was still allied with the administration. Curiously, the âHello Garci" scandal eventually prompted Aquinoâs mother, the late President Corazon âCory" Aquino, to withdraw her support from the administration and even joined calls for President Arroyoâs resignation. "They helped GMA [President Arroyoâs initials] steal the presidency not once, but twice," Tiangco said, evoking the famous catchphrase of Susan Roces, widow of the late Fernando Poe Jr., President Arroyoâs closest rival in the 2004 elections. - KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV