Dateline Manila, Sept. 14, 2007, by Coconut News Ngayon (CNN). Reliable sources told this reporter that former Philippine President Joseph "Erap" Estrada has instructed his legal-defense team to appeal the ruling of the Sandiganbayan to the Supreme Court.

Ex-President Erap told apparently his chief counsel, former Sen. Rene A. V. Saguisag, that all the while he thought that the main charge against him was for "blunder" and not plunder. Mr. Estrada was heard saying that he instructed his lawyers to take it easy, as he indeed committed some blunders, errors and mistakes as the President. But he said that he did not plunder the Philippine treasury and much more, the Philippine stock market.

As this developing "appeal" story unfolds, there were reports that former President Cory C. Aquino and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo commented privately that perhaps the country could now put to rest the Estrada Affair and move on. Upon hearing the supposed comments, Mr. Estrada said he could not understand why his alleged love affairs had to be mentioned by the two woman leaders.

When asked by this writer to comment further about Mr. Estrada’s reaction to their initial remarks, both ex-President Aquino and President Arroyo said, "We were just being courteous. Would Mr. Estrada prefer us to say, ‘You deserve the sentence and now you can go to hell’?" When told of the additional comments made by the two woman Presidents, especially about the ‘hell’ part, Mr. Estrada just answered, "Ladies first." # # #