BY JOVE!

It was around 1:30 pm.

We were in our respective cubicles at the press working area — making fun of the just concluded “biglaang” interview with palace officials (refer to the related story below) that belied the allegations made by Joey de Vencia at the Senate —when one reporter made this statement in jest: “dapat ngayon na nila i-pardon si Erap para matabunan ang mga pasabog kontra kay Gloria…”

Around 2pm, while President Arroyo was leading an oath taking ceremony inside the Rizal hall, reporters ambush interviewed Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye again.

I was behind Sec. Bunye during the interview, and when I heard him discuss the pardon issue and noticed how emphatic his justification of the President’s absolute power to grant pardon was… it hit me how possible it was for the pardon to be handed down today. I whispered to fellow TV reporter Weng dela Fuente (Net 25) my suspicion, she then stared at me and nodded, then she grilled Bunye some more.

Hours after, we were busy filing our stories (about the Pampanga mayors who trooped to the palace and the reactions to JDV3— story below) when all of a sudden we were informed by MPC President Paolo Romero, that Sec. Bunye has a very important announcement.

Nagkatinginan kaming lahat.

Then we all got hold of our phones to call our agencies. This is it.

Only an Erap pardon can trump the JDV3 drags Gloria story. Besides, Bunye won’t call for a briefing near the so called ora de peligro of reporters (near deadline).

So we all went to the NEB briefing room. Only to be informed that the briefing was pushed to 5pm. We were told that it was pushed to a later time so that the RTVM could prepare the technical requirements of the live feed/telecast for channel 4. That or “nirerepaso” pa?

It was past 5pm when Bunye took the podium to announce that President Arroyo pardoned former president Estrada.

So, only 43 days after his conviction for plunder…Erap is now a freeman.

(Just three days after Erap’s lawyers withdrew the MR and asked for pardon)

The pardon granted by president Arroyo also effectively ends Erap’s detention that lasted six and a half years.

The decision contains most of the recommendations that the department of justice submitted to the president today.

It stressed the policy of the administration in releasing inmates who have reached the age of 70, the time served by Estrada in detention and the assurance made by the former leader that he will no longer seek any elective office.

Erap’s sentimental reason (which was stated in the request for pardon letter they sent to PGMA) wasn’t considered.

“He is hereby restored to his civil and political rights. The forfeitures imposed by the Sandiganbayan remain in force and in full, including all writs and processes issued by the Sandiganbayan in pursuance hereof, except for the bank account (s) he owned before his tenure as President.”

Bunye added, if things will go as planned tomorrow, Friday, Erap may be on his way back to San Juan, as quickly/speedily as three hours after Sec. Ronaldo Puno hands him the pardon papers in Tanay.

Here’s the process: Puno will be in Tanay by 9am. If Erap accepts the pardon by signing it, then the papers will be sent to the Sandiganbayan right away. After the court formally notes the document, it will be sent back to Tanay and Erap’s officially allowed to leave for Polk Street or to the San Juan Medical Center.

There were talks inside the palace that the original plan was for the DOJ to submit its recommendations to the President tomorrow, Friday. And that even if the pardon issue is labeled as urgent, they seem to have ample time -supposedly they have until November 7 to decide, since that is the cut off date before the Sandiganbayan orders the transfer of Erap to Muntinlupa. Kaya nga raw nagpa survey pa at may mga pinakukunsulta pa.

So not surprisingly, a lot of people were surprised that the pardon was handed down today, especially because it happened on the day when the name of the President was dragged into the ZTE mess.

Watch the report that was aired over Sentro (ABC5), and find out how the palace reacted to suspicions that it handed down the pardon to trump the expose at the senate today.

(also in this segment: Glorietta2 update)

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(Watch this segment of Sentro to find out what happened at the Senate)

Also today…. (ZTE related)

In an interesting display of speed and urgency —that some observers couldn’t help but compare to the seemingly slow and passive reactions to past explosive issues—…. Malacanang officials (to the delight of palace reporters) “stormed” the palace press working area to emphatically and repetitively belie the fresh allegations made by Joey de Venecia.

Bunye and Saludo, loyal soldiers that they are defended President Arroyo who was dragged into the NBN Broadband mess by the younger de Venecia at the Senate today.

From Hong Kong where he’s waiting for his flight to the Middle East for an official mission…Secretary Romulo Neri relayed his side of the story (watch the video for his soundbyte).

It will be remembered that Neri had testified in one of the Senate hearings on the NBN project and said that then Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos offered him P200 million for a favorable endorsement of the project.

Today, he reiterated that Mrs. Arroyo told him NOT to accept the bribe BUT to approve the project.

In de Venecia’s version of the story, PGMA supposedly asked Neri why HE DIDN’T accept the bribe.

Before this… other key personalities were dragged into the controversial deal…including First gentleman Mike Arroyo.

In a statement, FG told Joey to “PUT UP OR SHUT UP!”

Hours after being dragged into the mess…
The President was seen in an oath taking event inside the Palace.
She didn’t look bothered and affected by the accusations, but interestingly she wore her crisis mode color of light blue to the event.

Here’s the report aired over SENTRO:

(Also in this segment of SENTRO, San Juan prepares to welcome ERAP)

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Almost a thousand local leaders from Pampanga trooped to Malacanang this morning “to give their full support to PGMA”.

But the event soon turned into an Ed Panlilio bashing opportunity.

Here are some of the soundbytes heard from the Pampanga leaders….

Mayor Jerry Pelayo:
(Bakit napapabayaan ba ang Pampanga) “Well hindi naman yung term na napapabayaan ano. Ang tanong ko sa iyo meron pa ba siyang kasundo ngayon? Ang kailangan nating isang lider yung matino, magaling, mahusay na lider. Hindi lang puro matino. Matino ka nga, kung hindi ka magaling, eh anong mangyayari sa iyo diba?”

(Media hungry Panlilio?) Ah yan na nga yung sinasabi ko. Siguro eto na yung daan na tingin niya na makaktulong sa kanya sa programa niyang ”Among Ed for president sa 2010”

Mayor Boking Morales:
“One thing we would like to make clear ditto sa revelation na ito, we believe that the president has nothing to do about it.”

I heard some people who witnessed the event comment that the event was a bad idea. That it won’t help their cabalen-PGMA any bit. Imagine, here’s a President who has been distancing herself from the payola issue, and then here are Mayors saying stuff like “they need the controversial cash gifts” … inside the palace mismo. In bad taste, at sino man daw nag isip, – malamang di nag iisip. Ill advised, ika nga.

Things that make you go, hmmmmm.