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Estrada happy to see godchildren for first time in 6 years
December 24, 2007 18:31:00
Jocelyn Uy
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines--Yes, ninong (the godfather) is back home this Christmas.

Spending Christmas for the first time in six years outside his prison cum resthouse in Tanay, Rizal, deposed president Joseph Estrada is now more accessible to his "inaanaks" (godchildren).

This was among the many things that Estrada enumerated on Monday when asked how Christmas Day would be different for him as a free man.

Estrada, ousted by a 4-day civilian-military revolt in 2001, was convicted of plunder then granted executive clemency last October.

For the past six Christmases he spent in jail, noche buena (the traditional Christmas meal) was limited to his immediate family and the prison guards, he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) in a phone interview on Monday.

"My inaanaks could not come because Tanay was too far," Estrada said, referring to his 15-hectare estate on the hills of Rizal province where he was detained from 2004 to 2007.

He said that Yuletide in detention was a simple affair. He would just invite the parish priest to hold a mass there in the afternoon of Dec. 24.

On Oct. 26 or two months before Christmas, Estrada walked out a free man after accepting executive clemency from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

At the time of his conviction in September, he said he would never accept a pardon from Arroyo, who assumed power after the so-called EDSA-2 revolt.

At any rate, accepting the pardon allowed him to freely enjoy all the niceties of the Yuletide season without having to seek the consent of the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court, which tried his landmark plunder case.

The 70-year-old former president sounded jolly on the phone. He disclosed that aside from his relatives and grandchildren, he was expecting his godchildren to visit him during the holidays. The gift-giving part, however, did not worry him.

"They're all grown up. Some of them are already married. They are now the ones who give me gifts," he said with a chuckle.

But "freedom and the new lease on life is the best Christmas gift I can receive," he stated.

Estrada said he planned to visit his ailing 102-year-old mother, Mary Ejercito, at the San Juan Medical Center, then attend the Simbang Gabi (the traditional dawn Christmas masses) that was to be held before midnight at the San Juan town plaza before proceeding to his Polk Street residence for a "modest" noche buena—mostly Filipino delicacies such as sapin-sapin, hot pandesal and puto—to be shared by his family and relatives.

Still hoping that his mother would recover from her ailment, Estrada said he would request that a mass be held on Dec. 25 inside his mother's hospital room.

"It is really depressing to see her connected to all those tubes. I am still hoping for a miracle. But I am really happy to be home. I have been pardoned so I also pardon those who have conspired to illegally oust me," said Estrada.

In a statement, the former president extended his Christmas greetings to his supporters.

"This Christmas is most meaningful for me because it will be the first time after six years I will celebrate it freely with my loved ones, friends, and our people.

"This Christmas presents me the occasion to express my gratitude and appreciation to our people who continued to support me and have faith in me," he said, as he called on the nation to unite for a just, peaceful and prosperous country.

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