MANILA. Almost half of Filipinos in Metro Manila and nearby provinces feel President Macapagal-Arroyo should pardon former President Joseph Estrada if he is found guilty of plunder.

This was one of the findings of a confidential survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations and commissioned by the political opposition.

"In case the Sandiganbayan declares Erap guilty, 48 percent say that GMA should pardon him immediately," read one of the highlights of the survey dubbed Project Theodore. Details of the survey were obtained from the opposition.

Thirty-eight percent said Estrada should be pardoned "after some time" and 13 percent said no pardon, the study said.

"Lower classes prefer immediate pardon," it added.

Two percent of the respondents either refused to answer the question or said they didn't know how to respond.

The Sandiganbayan decision on Estrada's plunder case is widely expected to be handed down in the next two weeks.

The special division created to try the former President has 90 days to decide on his fate from the time the trial ended in June. The 90-day period ends on Sept. 15.
The study was conducted by the SWS from July 18 to July 20 in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal.

There were 600 respondents-300 from the metropolitan area, 80 from Bulacan, 80 from Cavite, 70 from Laguna and 70 from Rizal.

The survey had an error margin of plus or minus four percent.

The respondents were asked the following question in Filipino: "President Arroyo has the power to give pardon to whoever is convicted of a crime. If ever the Sandiganbayan declares former President Estrada guilty of the crime of plunder, in your opinion, should President Arroyo give pardon immediately, pardon after some time or not at all?"

The survey showed that 47 percent and 58 percent of respondents from classes D and E, respectively, wanted Estrada to be pardoned immediately.

Thirty-one percent from the classes ABC had the same sentiment.

According to the survey, 48 percent of those from classes ABC believed Estrada should be pardoned "after some time."

The highest number of respondents who didn't want Estrada pardoned came from classes ABC, with 17 percent.

Those from classes D and E who didn't want Estrada pardoned represented 12 percent from each group.

Fifty percent of the respondents from Metro Manila wanted Estrada pardoned immediately while 47 percent of the respondents from the nearby provinces believed the same way.

Thirty-six percent from Metro Manila wanted him pardoned after some time while 39 percent from the nearby areas also wanted it that way.

Only 13 percent from the metropolitan area wanted him not pardoned at all, and 12 percent from the adjacent provinces also wanted him to stay in jail.

Estrada's plunder case arose from his alleged involvement in the illegal numbers game jueteng-an allegation that led to his impeachment in late 2000 and eventual ouster in a People Power revolt in January 2001.

The former President has said that he doesn't want executive clemency from Ms Arroyo, saying a presidential pardon is only for the guilty.

"Why should I accept executive clemency? I am not guilty of anything," Estrada said in one of his interviews.

Estrada has expressed belief that his defense has done a good job of demolishing the accusations of the prosecution, particularly those made by the chief whistleblower and his former drinking pal, former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Singson.

Estrada has said that his only fear is that political pressure might play a role in the decision to be rendered by the Sandiganbayan magistrates.

The SWS survey commissioned by the opposition also showed that Estrada continued to enjoy much more trust among the people than his successor.

The poll results showed Estrada enjoying a high trust rating, with 64 percent of the respondents saying they had "much trust" in the former president.

Nineteen percent of the respondents said they had "little trust" in him. The remaining 16 percent were undecided.

Eighteen percent of those surveyed said they had "much trust" in Ms Arroyo and 62 percent said they had "little trust" in her. Nineteen percent were undecided.