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To be a journalist is to sometimes embrace your own celebrity and be a "star" that sets and upholds the "standards" of what the Filipinos of " today " are fighting for;

Ang maging mamamahayag ay tulad ng isang "bulgar" na pahina na hindi puwedeng maging sisidlan ng anumang pagbaluktot sa katotohanan, bagkus siya pa ngang lagusan upang ito ay mai-"bandera" at mai-"balita" ang mga kuwentong dapat na marining at ma-"tiktikan."

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Ang maging mamamahayag ay DAPAT laging sa NGALAN NG KATOTOHANAN AT TUNAY NA PAGLILINGKOD.




COPA STARTED IT ALL…

September 12, 2007

The guilty verdict on the plunder case against former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada should be taken as a sweet and even a moral victory for the Council of Philippine Affairs or COPA.

But it did not totally feel that way according to key personalities of COPA.

It was COPA who started it all–all the troubles of Erap, I mean former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis "Chavit" Singson did—but it was COPA's initial and strong backing that spelled the difference in his whistle blower role in the recent history of Philippine politics.

It was COPA who pulled together all the forces that eventually led to the downfall of the Estrada administration and the swearing in of a new President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last January 20, 2001 at the Edsa Shrine in Pasig. 

COPA expected and welcomed the conviction handed down by the Sandiganbayan Anti-Graft Court
But Billy Esposo, COPA Chairman told me that based on merits of the case—"justice was served."

Esposo added, "it doesn't mean we are rejoicing for the very corruption that we rejected still exists, maybe even on larger scale.

Pastor "Boy" Saycon, COPA Secretary-General puts it this way: "How can we say we are rejoicing if we knew for a fact that nothing has really changed and the problem of poverty remains?"
Saycon's question: "Are we any better?"
As the core group that supported Singson in his jueteng and TObacco Excise Tax Expose beginning on the last quarter of 2000, Esposo said, they do not regret the role they played in the downfall of Estrada.

 

"We had to do what was called for and what was for the best interest of the people at that time."

 

Six years ago. COPA was the force behind the ouster of of the most popular president elected in the history of the Philippine-polls.

 

Saycon's recalls the key dates and narrates the crucial development leading to January 20, 2001: 

 

>September 21, 2000-Chavit talked to former congressman Jose "Peping" Cojuangco.

 

>On the same date, later in the evening, another meeting took place at the EDSA Shrine in Ortigas, Pasig.

 

>It was on this meeting that Chavit according to Saycon said these lines:" BABALIKTAD NA AKO, PAPATAYIN NILA AKO."
>Five days after, September 26, COPA accompanied Chavit to the residence of then Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin in Villa San Miguel in Mandaluyong.

 

>"We areanged for that meeting between the cardinal and Chavit. Doon ibinigay niya ang lahat ng ebiensiya, tapes, documents, yung blue book niya,cheques,log-sheets, withdrawal slips, lahat—ipinasa ni Chavit kay Cardinal Sin" Saycon recalled.

 

>October 3, according to Saycon, Chavit was able to confirm the threat on his life. "May attempted ambush na sa kanya, yung sa Manila." 

 

The alleged attempted ambush jolted Chavit according to Saycon, "kaya lalong nagmadaling magsalita."

 

>October 6, 2000—Chavit's Presscon at the Club Filipino where he played the tape recording of his phone conversation with Estrada.

>October 29, 2000-Cardinal Sin backed up Chavit by issuing a pastoral letter that carried the message:" ERAP RESIGN, CONSTITUTIONAL SUCCESSION."

On the first month of the following year, exactly on the crucial hours of January 20, 2002—COPA's influence was tested and was tasked to consolidate all the forces against Estrada.

"We were the ones who consolidated the left and the right wing forces " Saycon said. 

Looking back at the role they played then Esposo said,"What we did was never for Gloria Arroyo, it was for the Filipino people."  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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