Erap salutes STAR's commitment to constructive and balanced reporting and opinion writing

MANILA, Philippines - In the 25th year anniversary of The Philippine STAR, former President Joseph Estrada expressed his appreciation to the newspaper’s continuous commitment to “constructive and balanced reporting and opinion writing.”             

Estrada, who had served as the 13th President of the country for a little over two years of his supposed six-year term of office, said that it was through the article written by no less than STAR’s Associate News Editor Marichu Villanueva entitled “Erap’s Life is an Open Book” that his political history was successfully narrated.            

“I have always appreciated the balanced reporting of the Philippine STAR. I appreciate this column (Erap’s Life is an Open Book) in particular because it successfully narrated my political history in a nutshell and because it was sincere and constructive,” Estrada said. Estrada admitted that the media plays a great role in making and unmaking presidents. “But the Philippine STAR has maintained its commitment to constructive and balanced reporting and opinion writing,” he said.

Estrada said he usually get a chance to read The STAR every morning while having his breakfast.  

He said he especially appreciates STAR columnist Federico Pascual and Marichu Villanueva, who also writes opinions for The Philippine STAR, for their constructive writings.            

“I especially appreciate Federico Pascual and Marichu Villanueva for their unbridled yet unbiased writing. Recently, I have also been constantly following former Senator (Ernesto Manong) Maceda’s column particularly because of his consistent updates on the crimes happening around the country,” Estrada said. He added that he has also met almost all, if not all the columnists, reporters and writers of the STAR.            

He said the most memorable issued of the STAR for him was the newspaper’s headline where the late former President Cory Aquino apologized and admitted that EDSA Dos was a mistake. “The most memorable issue for me is the one that headlined the public apology of former President Cory for EDSA Dos (entitled: Cory to Erap, Sorry EDSA II a Mistake). I was very touched by this very humble gesture from one of the most loved presidents of our country and I will never forget that historical moment,” Estrada said. Cory Aquino was instrumental for the ouster of Estrada in January 2001.

The first female former President conducted series of prayer vigil calling for Estrada’s ouster until he was forced to leave Malacanang in 2001. Estrada said that Aquino does not need to do it, but she did. “She did not have to do that but she did. It showed her strength of character, her humility and her commitment to the truth and to our people. I never imagined that day would come,” Estrada said.            

Estrada said The Philippine STAR has been a great source of news for him. “The Philippine STAR, with its unbiased reportage of events has always been a great source of news. During my presidency I would read The STAR for the opinion about my performance-both positive and negative,” Estrada said. He was elected President in the 1998 elections winning by a landslide votes of more than 10 million and posting more than five million lead vote against his closest opponent, former House Speaker Jose De Venecia, Jr. He was ousted from power through a military-backed EDSA Dos in January 2001, charged, tried and found guilty of plunder in September 2007. In October 2007, Estrada was pardoned by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, his vice president who replaced him after being ousted in 2001. He ran for President anew in the May 2010 presidential elections, but lost to the incumbent President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, III, son of the late former President Cory Aquino and the late Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. Senator Ninoy Aquino’s death in August 21, 1983 ignited the series of protest and clamor for the late former President Ferdinand Marcos ouster in what we called now EDSA People Power I peaceful revolution that placed Cory Aquino as the first female Philippine President.