Truce over: Erap calls Glo a cheat

CEBU, Philippines - One day after he shook the hand of President Arroyo and let her take his arm as they walked out of church as sponsors in Saturday’s “wedding of the year” between Liloan Mayor Duke Frasco and Christina Garcia Codilla, ousted former president Joseph Estrada was back to calling her a cheat.

At each of four mini rallies he held yesterday in Cebu City’s poorer southern underbelly, Estrada never failed to mention how his bosom buddy Fernando Poe Jr. was “cheated in Cebu” in the 2004 elections.

Poe lost by more than a million votes in Cebu, about the same number that made up the eventual lead of Arroyo over Poe nationwide.

But most neutral observers have long discredited this line as Poe never had a working political machinery in Cebu and never bothered to pour campaign funds for his wards in what was seen as a losing battle against Arroyo who had virtually all local officials affiliated with her party.

Also, it had been conceded that Cebuanos were more inclined to vote for the highly educated Arroyo than go for the actor Poe.

Still the “cheating” slogan always made good sound bytes among the “masa” because of its underdog connotations and Estrada played the music they love to hear all the way up.

And the “masa” came out in droves to see their “hero” as he wound through several southern barangays of Cebu City in a motorcade and later had lunch with them in Pasil.

The motorcade was part of what Estrada calls his nationwide “Lakbay Pasasalamat” but which observers realistically see as a trial campaign stump.

Though not well-publicized, word spread quickly and the roadsides in the city’s southern district started filling with people.

“Erap! Erap! Erap!,” they shouted. Then they added “Guardo! Guardo! Guardo!”

Guardo refers to businessman Jonathan Guardo, who is seeking to represent the south district in Congress in 2010 and who organized the motorcade for Estrada.

Estrada, incidentally, is a product endorser for Arthro, a popular product developed by Guardo that is said to address health concerns affecting the joints.

Estrada was joined by his Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino party officials like Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, former senator Ernesto Maceda, Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay and actor Rex Cortes.

The motorcade passed through Banawa, Labangon, Tisa, Punta Princesa, Kinasang-an, Pardo, Inayawan, Basak San Nicolas, Mambaling, Duljo-Fatima, Sawang Calero, Suba, and ended in Pasil.

The group held four mini rallies in the known opposition barangays of Tisa, Cogon, Duljo and Pasil.

“This is not unusual. I will tell you in my own personal view. I’ve been in political campaigns and basing them on my experience in over four decades in politics, what I’ve seen so far is but more encouraging than what I used to see in the past campaign. I am confident that if the elections were today, and most specially in May of 2010, very likely President Erap will be the man to beat,” Enrile said.

Estrada, he said, won and is still winning the hearts of the people without much money placed in campaigns and commercials.

In fact, Estrada’s only commercial with a political tease about running is that one in which he endorsed Guardo’s health supplement Arthro.

But Estrada played coy about his plans, sticking to the line that he was merely thanking his supporters for sticking by his through all his trials.

Estrada was the first Philippine president to be impeached but his impeachment trial was aborted when a Senate dominated by his allies aborted opening an envelope believed to contain damning evidence against him.

Angered by the development, people took to the streets and laid siege to Malacanang, eventually ousting him.

He was later tried and convicted for plunder and imprisoned. Arroyo, in a hugely unpopular move, elected to grant him pardon.

Now that he is free, Estrada has proved to be a pesky thorn on Arroyo’s side, lending support and inspiring opposition snipes at the hugely unpopular president.

“I want to thank the people for their unconditional support to me, even when I was still incarcerated for six years and six months. I cannot repay the poor Filipinos who helped achieve my goals when I was still an actor and until I became mayor of San Juan, a senator, vice president and president with the highest vote ever garnered by a presidential candidate in the history of the Philippines,” Estrada said.

Guardo said he has made Estrada’s closeness to the “masa” as his own model in the various programs he has implemented throughout the south district.

Guardo ran and lost in 2004 but is perceived to be a much stronger and viable candidate in his second bid for the congressional seat in the south.

“I ran and lost but I never abandoned you. I dont know about the winner if he has been visible to you,” Guardo said.

Guardo has been aggressively providing medical and burial assistance as well as promoting mass weddings, feedings, sports and many others.

But while Estrada was mobbed by his supporters, only one woman in the crowd managed to cash in on her adulation.

A certain Jovita Padilla, said to be an official of a senior citizen organization, was called up the stage by Binay and was handed P1,000 by Estrada, along with a hug and a kiss.

Bongbong Marcos then gave her P500 more while Enrile added P100.

The election fever has clearly arrived. - /JST (THE FREEMAN)