Erap to Arroyo: Stop political persecution

Former President Joseph Estrada urged President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Tuesday to stop what he called was a systematic attempt to vilify and persecute members of the political opposition. "I am urging Mrs Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to abandon this tactic as it will only deepen the political crisis in our country and prove…that her administration is indeed bent on silencing the opposition through whatever means," Estrada said in a statement. The deposed Philippine leader issued his statement following the serving of the suspension order on Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay, Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado and all of 16 city councilors over the purported hiring of ghost employees. With this development, Estrada said the government seems like implementing an undeclared martial law. "There is an obvious systematic attempt to vilify and prosecute opposition members who are not on the 'right' side of the poliitcal fence," said Estrada, who has been detained since April 2001 on plunder charges. Estrada noted that only opposition-allied local officials were being earmarked for suspension while administration allies remain untouched. In last week’s budget deliberations, House Minority Leader Francis Escudero cited several pro-administration local officials who are facing graft charges at the Office of the Ombudsman and yet remain scot-free: Manila Mayor Jose "Lito" Atienza, Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte and Caloocan City Mayor Enrico Echiverri. Estrada accused the Arroyo government of implementing double standard type of justice regarding the cases of local officials. "What happened to the multi-million peso scam involving administration allies, like the fertilizer scam, the PEA-AMARI deal, the Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard and other high profile plunder cases? Why has no one been made answerable for these," Estrada lamented. He also reminded the government that the Court of Appeals must be allowed to rule on Binay’s motion to stop all proceedings against him first before action is taken against the local chief executive. Binay heads the United Opposition (UNO), which groups most of the President's critics. In the May presidential 2004 polls, Binay served as the general campaign manager of the late Fernando Poe Jr, Estrada's best friend. - Fidel Jimenez, GMANews.TV