Erap ‘reconciled’ with Sin — priest

Ousted President Joseph Estrada and retired Archbishop of Manila Jaime Cardinal Sin had reconciled two weeks before Sin’s death, the Catholic Church’s mass media director said yesterday.

Testifying at Estrada’s plunder trial at the Sandiganbayan, Fr. James Reuter, director of the Church’s National Office of Mass Media, said Estrada had asked him to initiate a meeting with Sin whom Estrada wanted to visit at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan.

Referring to Estrada as "Erap," Reuter, a Jesuit, said it was the desire of the former president to visit the ailing Sin, but that his plan did not push through.

"I thought it was a very good gesture on the part of Erap to seek reconciliation with Cardinal Sin," he said.

"Erap wanted to see the Cardinal before he died. He wanted them to reconcile before he died. And then the Cardinal wrote a very beautiful letter."

Sin had advised Estrada not to visit him because the media might "misinterpret" the gesture, he added.

The 89-year-old Reuter, a columnist of The STAR, appeared in court on a wheelchair to portray before the justices the human side of Estrada.

Reuter, who has been living in the Philippines for 67 years, was presented as a "surprise witness" by former senator Rene Saguisag, Estrada’s lead counsel.

Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa Ignacio did not cross-examine Reuter, the 67th defense witness.

Saguisag said Estrada was a victim of a "very vicious" trial by publicity that led to his downfall without being given the benefit of airing his side.

"It is our purpose to present before the justices the other side of President Estrada before they decide on this case, which carries the (maximum) penalty of death through lethal injection," he said.

Reuter narrated to the special division that on many occasions even before he became president, Estrada had been a supporter of various charities, giving as an example the time when they were looking for a sponsor to construct the P50-million Our Lady of Peace hospital along Coastal Road in Parañaque.

"We had money to build the hospital, but didn’t have money for the maintenance," he said. "That was when (Erap) said: ‘I will give P1.5 million every month.’ I asked him: ‘When?’ He said: ‘Tomorrow.’ The money came the following day."

Reuter said Estrada had offered to raise the monthly donations after seeing for himself the malnourished children at the hospital when he came for a visit.

"Without that donation, we would not have built the hospital," he said. "We have survived largely because of that (donation)."

Reuter, an American, was granted honorary Filipino citizenship by Congress in 1996.

During the trial, Estrada’s counsels asked the court to allow Estrada to go to Cardinal Santos Medical Center for a medical checkup, and to attend the El Shaddai prayer meeting at Rizal Park on Saturday.

Villa Ignacio did object to the medical checkup, but opposed Estrada’s request to go to the prayer meeting for security reasons.

However, retired Manila fiscal Jose Flaminiano, another Estrada lawyer, said security would not be a problem because other prominent personalities, among them President Arroyo, would be in attendance.

Flaminiano also assured the court that Estrada would not deliver any political speeches during the prayer meeting.

Sitting on the special division are Justices Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Francisco Villaruz, and Diosdado Peralta.