Saturday, June 27, 1998

Estrada’s grave error

New Philippines' president shows poor judgment
and a stubborn streak in fiasco
over Marcos' burial

By Belinda A. Aquino
Special to the Star-Bulletin

TOKYO -- Joseph Estrada's victory in the recent presidential elections in the Philippines was nothing short of phenomenal. The Filipino "masa" (masses) gave him a six-million-vote victory over his nearest rival, the biggest yet in the nation's political history.

Forgiving those who had mercilessly attacked him during the campaign as a womanizer who has fathered several illegitimate children, a boozer, gambler, college drop-out and an "intellectual pygmy," Estrada has vowed to embark on a "healing presidency."

But his idea of healing, even before he could warm his seat in Malacanang, has divided the country instead.

His decision authorizing the burial of the Marcos corpse after nine years at the Heroes' Cemetery has opened old wounds and invited potential violence from the underground left, whose leaders threatened to abduct the Marcoses for "crimes against the people."

Former first lady Imelda Marcos diffused the tension at least temporarily Thursday by backing away from the burial plan. She said the burial "will be deferred to a more appropriate time.''

But reports from the Philippines indicated Estrada may not be detered. He was quoted as saying he may seek a court decision on the legality of the burial.

Estrada's rationale in announcing plans to inter Marcos in the Heroes' Cemetery was to "bury the dead," as well as the past, and to move forward. Since the corpse issue hounded two presidents before him, it is understandable that Estrada wanted to be rid of this pesky problem early in his administration.

But in the process, Estrada showed his characteristic machismo and gross insensitivity, as well as a touch of naivete.

Instead of heeding the public outrage that his first "unofficial" decision created, Estrada said he had made up his mind and was duty-bound to carry out his "palabra de honor" (word of honor).

He also became overly legalistic and literal by challenging his detractors to show him anything in the law that precludes the burial of an ex-president in the Heroes' Cemetery. As a Christian nation, he added, "We should respect our dead."

When informed that the anti-Marcos elements were planning to stage a demonstration over the issue, Estrada callously said, "I'm not going to waste my time...If they want to sleep in the streets, let them sleep there. I'll even give them mineral water!"

In belittling public opinion, Estrada showed an arrogance and combativeness that is starting to polarize rather than heal the nation he wants to lead into the next century. Worse, according to prominent Filipino columnist Amando Doronila, Estrada seems to be using the Marcos burial issue as a demonstration of his "political will."

By taking this tack, Doronila argues, Estrada is mistaking "machismo, meanness and callousness" for "political will." Both former Presidents Aquino and Ramos had been criticized for being "wishy-washy" on Marcos-related issues.

Estrada is putting on a strong-leader image, but has chosen the wrong issue to demonstrate this.

His other obsession -- to abolish pork-barrel politics -- is being received better by the public, because it hits at the core of Philippine official corruption. But Estrada selectively overlooks the grand corruption, in fact the plunder, that Marcos perpetrated on Philippine society.

If Estrada continues his "bullying" approach to national problems, he will be crippled early in his tenure of leading a country that was once termed "ungovernable." There will be much more serious problems than this burial issue, which has agitated him so much already.

Estrada should heed the slew of well-meaning advice coming from his supporters, who have given him the most resounding presidential victory ever. Even groups like Kilosbayan -- a citizen's group led by former Sen. Jovito Salonga, which did not support him -- are offering their advice and good will because they want him to succeed.

Will misguided forgiveness and convenient forgetting be the hallmarks of Estrada's presidency? Or will he learn the politics of justice rather than compassion with plunderers? If not, his virulent critics will continue to ridicule him as a simpleton who doesn't know the difference between a hero and a heel.

---

Belinda Aquino, director of the Center for Philippine Studies
at the University of Hawaii, is currently a visiting professor at the
Tokyo University of Foreign Studies in Japan.