Estrada pardon sets precedent for Arroyo
In a complete reversal of his earlier fighting stance of not accepting a pardon, disgraced former President Joseph Estrada applied for “full, free and unconditional” pardon from President Arroyo.
From having his spokespersons demand an “all-encompassing” amnesty, Estrada now had his lawyers withdraw his motion for reconsideration with the Sandiganbayan for his September 12 guilty verdict on two counts of plunder.
While insisting to bowing on the “wisdom of my lawyers” after realizing that “I don’t really stand a chance with the justice system that we have…,” Estrada also justifies his change of tack by saying that this would “start a healing process” for the “sharply divided nation” and that he can do something better for the country if he was free.
The long and short of it, he claims, is he was doing it with “the highest national interest” in mind.
