Duterte shares light moment with Erap, Arroyo in Clark event

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday shared the stage with former presidents Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, two of his predecessors who had been bitter political foes.

A photo released by Malacañang showed Duterte, Estrada and Arroyo having a light moment during the President's meeting with local chief executives from Luzon in Clark, Pampanga.

Arroyo was also present at the Manila Hotel in April last year for Estrada's 80th birthday celebration. Duterte also graced the event.

 

LOOK: President Rodrigo Duterte shares light moments with former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo at a meeting with local chief executives from Luzon in Clark, Pampanga on Wednesday, March 7, 2018. | Photo courtesy: Robinson Niñal/PPD

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Mar 7, 2018 at 11:06pm PST

Now Manila mayor, Estrada was ousted as president on Jan. 20, 2001 through a civilian military-backed uprising that gave way to the rise of Arroyo, his vice president, to power.

Arroyo then sent Estrada to jail for plunder for receiving protection money from jueteng collectors and commission for the purchase of P1.8 billion worth of shares of Belle Corp. by the Social Security System (SSS) and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), and diverting money from the tobacco excise tax during his abbreviated presidency.

He was convicted by the Sandiganbayan in September 2007 only to be pardoned weeks later by Arroyo.

Arroyo, meanwhile, spent nearly four years in hospital detention before the Supreme Court dismissed in July 2016 the plunder case against her in relation to the alleged misuse of P366 million intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) funds during her term as president.

Arroyo is currently on her third and last term as representative of Pampanga's second district.  — Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News