ON January 16, 2001, thousands of Filipinos were glued to their tele­vision sets watching the real-life drama of former president Joseph Estrada’s impeachment trial unfold.

A long and heated debate over the controversial “second envelope,” reportedly containing the Jose Velarde bank records, led the senator-judges to vote on whether or not to rip the seal. Lead prosecutor Joker Arroyo, then a member of the House of Congress, demanded for the release of the mysterious documents as evidence, while Estrada’s defense lawyers emphatically disagreed.

After the votes were cast and counted, Chief Justice Hilario Davide declared, “The no’s have it.” Then Senate President Aquilino Pimentel tendered his resignation, and the prosecution team walked out. Within minutes, disgruntled citizens, including the militant sector, rallied to the EDSA Shrine that same night. Text messages spread like wild fire calling on all Filipinos to join the vigil that began.

Authorities, including the military, joined the rally and Estrada was forced to leave Malacañang on the fourth day of what is now known as EDSA Dos. It was January 20, 2001.

A downfall chronicled

For writer Atty. Jay C. de Castro (TGP UST 1973 St. Pancratius), nothing can ever suppress the truth. In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Times, he analyzed the events that led to the fall of President Joseph Ejercito Estrada. The chronology of events is outlined in his new book, At Tumestigo Ang Asintado: Gov. Luis Chavit Singson.

It will be remembered that Singson, Estrada’s bosom buddy started it all. The former governor accused the president of the republic to be the “lord of all jueteng lords,” that which led to the impeachment trial, and eventually, Estrada’s downfall.

According to de Castro his book talks about Singson’s bravery in telling the “truth” against the country’s most powerful man. His writing goes on to reveal what eventually happened to the man tagged as the “whistle blower.”

The governor of Ilocos Sur, Singson, was a man marked for death when he fell out of Estrada’s good graces. It was then he decided to accuse Estrada of living a lavish life, allegedly through jueteng money collections nationwide.

“This book that illustrates the true state of our country’s morality under the Estrada administration and discusses the historical events from the 3rd of October to the 20th of January, 2001, I whole-heartedly dedicate to my countrymen of Ilocos Sur, to our Mother Land and to the Filipino youth, [Ang aklat na ito na naglalarawan sa tunay na kalagayan ng moralidad sa ating bansa sa ilalim ng pamahalaan ni dating Pangulong Estrada at tumatalakay sa mga makasaysayang pangyayari sa bansa mula noong October 3, 2000 at nagtapos noong January 20, 2001, ay buong puso kong iniaalay sa aking mga minamahal na kababayan sa Ilocos Sur, sa ating Inang Bayan at higit sa lahat sa kabataang Pilipino,]” Singson writes in the forward.

The book will be launched on January 21 at the historic Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan. Expected as guests are many EDSA Dos personalities, including a number of the senator-judges and impeachment prosecutors.

A Powerpoint presentation and a slide show of photographs will be among the highlights of the book launching, followed by a book signing by Singson and the author.

Accolades

Former National Press Club president Louie Logarta says the launching of the book was very timely, adding, “EDSA 2 should not be forgotten and instead should be remembered.”

Rizal Buendia, Ph. D. of the National University of Singapore, opines that the book will serve as good resource material for students once released.

Nemesio Prudente, former president of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, says that de Castro’s work shows “the triumph of the truth over evil.”

De Castro’s stand

De Castro states in At Tumestigo Ang Asintado that EDSA Dos was a democratic way of ousting a corrupt president. “It was not a power grab,” he adds.

In the book, he also writes a plea to Filipinos to stand up for what the “revolution” achieved: “EDSA 2 should serve as a lesson for corrupt officials and a guide for our next generation for the sake of the children who are this country’s future leaders.”

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Article taken from Manila Times
By Jonathan Vicente, Manila Times