Words: Jaemark Tordecilla
Illustration: Frantz Arno Salvador
July 27, 2009 | 8777 views
Joseph Estrada's inaugural address
June 30, 1998 was a beautiful Tuesday morning. A couple of weeks removed from the centennial of the first Philippine republic, there wasa happy buzz around the occasion. Former action star and darling of the masses Joseph Estrada bucked numerous questions about his qualifications and his character, not to mention hundreds of Erap jokes, and won the 1998 Presidential elections handily.
He had an auspicious first day in office, highlighted by his inaugural speech crafted by now-Makati Rep. Teodoro Locsin. The speech underscored his promise to weed out corruption in the government. Of course, everyone remembers the money line:
Ngayon pa lamang, ang mga kamag-anak ko ay nilalapitan na ng kung sinu-sino. Kung anu-anong deal at kickback ang ipinangangako.
Binabalaan ko sila: Ang kanilang inilalapit ay ebidensiyang gagamitin ko sa pag-usig sa kanila; kapag itinuloy nila ang kanilang maruming balakin. Tandaan nila ito. Lalong mabuti, maghanda sila. Huwag nila akong subukan!
Sa aking administrasyon, walang kaibigan, walang kumpare, walang kamag-anak.
As he did in his best movies, he delivered his lines with aplomb, and the audience responded with applause. It all went to hell less than three short years later. Estrada faced impeachment in late 2000 amid charges of corruption, ironically involving his friends, his buddies, and his relatives. He was ousted in the EDSA 2 popular revolution, and was later convicted of plunder by the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan.
The whole chain of events was precipitated by...
