Valenzuela City Congressman Win Gatchalian lauded the Supreme Court or SC for exercising its objectivity and fairness when it dismissed the disqualification case filed against former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada.

The high court, through Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro, dismissed the consolidated petitions of former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim—the candidate Estrada beat in 2013—and his lawyer Alicia Risos-Vidal.

The SC justices voted 11-3 in favor of upholding the Commission on Elections’ decision, saying the former president was qualified to run for mayor during the 2013 elections.

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“I congratulate Mayor Erap Estrada for winning his case in the Supreme Court. I equally congratulate the 11 magistrates who dismissed the disqualification case against the former president,” Gatchalian said.

A member of Nationalist People’s Coalition, Gatchalian described Erap Estrada’s victory in the Supreme Court as “poetic justice” since the ponente of the decision dismissing his disqualification case is Justice De Castro.

De Castro was the same justice of the Sandiganbayan, who convicted the former president for plunder more than seven years ago.

“The date of the SC decision also fell on January 21, the anniversary of Edsa 2, in which President Erap was forced to step down from Malacanang in 2001,” Gatchalian recalled. (R. Burgos)

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