Press Statement

February 18, 2010

Greetings to all of you in God’s mighty name.

I was privileged to be in Davao City on February 14, as one of the guests of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ of Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy in the open air celebration of the Church’s 25^th Thanksgiving Service. I pitched in for the presidential candidate of Bangon Pilipinas, Brother Eddie C. Villanueva as his vice-presidential running mate.

It was one of the uncomfortable moments in my life, because for the first time since I singly stood up and testified against the most powerful man of the Philippines on the issue of corruption and abuse of authority, which eventually led to his removal from office more than 10 years ago, I met this same person face to face, former President Joseph E. Estrada, in the Davao City event. For over an hour, I sat almost side by side with the person who had threatened to kill me for what I did, even invoked the heavens that lightning strike me before prime time television seen by millions of Filipinos, and called me vulgar names, not to mention the curses and expletives he hurled against me before the national and international press.

I have long forgiven the former President for the wrongs he did to me. But because I hurt and offended his feelings, I know that I also owe him an apology. No, I did not owe him apology for what I did in standing up for truth, justice and righteousness, which I will continue to do for as long as I live, but because he too is one of God’s wondrous creation, and as a fellow Christian, I have to reconcile with my brother, not his sins, which I continue to reject.

Yes, I prayed to the Lord and asked him for deliverance from the situation I found myself in. And then in a still small voice he whispered to me and said, “You asked me many times before to give you the opportunity to meet this man face to face, since his political downfall so that you could apologize to him. Today I want you to be released of the burden that you have been carrying for so long. I led you to this opportunity now, so go humble yourself and make your apology public.”

In my heart, I said: “Wait Lord, I want to make sure, please give me the signal that it is you who is speaking to me now.”

I was one of the last political candidates introduced and welcomed that evening so I proposed that “if I would be asked to speak brief words of greetings ahead of President Estrada, then I will take it as a signal from you Lord that indeed you want me to apologize to my political nemesis.” But even before I could finish my thoughts to Jesus that evening, I heard my name called by the program emcee blaring clearly out of the high tech speakers indicating my turn to speak.

I stood up committed to speak for only two minutes, and after expressing on behalf of Brother Eddie Villanueva and Bangon Pilipinas our party greetings, I recall saying: “God has led me to this place, because I have long sought the opportunity of re- encountering the man whose feelings I have hurt and offended more than 10 years ago, even as I was simply carrying out my duty and doing that which I believed was right. I am also making this public apology for being so naive then in not realizing that even as I was doing that which I believed was right, there were other unscrupulous politicians who used me to pursue a hidden agenda to grab the powers of the presidency from you Mr. President. So that in the spirit of today’s celebration, which is also a time for love and reconciliation, I hope that you will find the heart to forgive me for hurting and offending you, and I hope that you will also accept my offer to be my Valentine tonight.”

By saying what I did, God released and liberated me from the burden I was carrying all these years, and however the former President will use my apology - to suit his purposes - is his problem, not mine.

What is clear is that I did not retract, withdraw or diminish my testimony against him during the Senate Hearings with respect to his involvement in the BW Stock Market Scandal and in the historic Impeachment Trial. I did not condone the crimes he committed and for which he was duly convicted by the Sandiganbayan, although granted absolute pardon by the incumbent President.

Finally, I would like to respectfully suggest, to my friend and brother former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, now that he is seeking another chance at the presidency that he find time to kneel down before God for discernment and reflect and meditate in solitude about the sins and transgressions he committed against the people, or at the very least humbly repent and ask for their forgiveness for all his acts that have hurt this nation. Only then can he truly be liberated from his crimes and mistakes and stand up before the whole world as a free man.

I hope that this explanation will clear your minds of any doubts as to the propriety of what I did, even as I continue to pray and hope that all my actions in this political campaign will be pleasing to God our father.

Thank you.