Villar? MVP? Maybe it’s Most Valuable Prisoner

MANILA, Philippines -  Don’t count him out yet.

“MVP” may stand for Most Valuable Prisoner, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said in jest when asked about Vice President Jejomar Binay’s possible running mate in the 2016 elections.

“I do not know what MVP stands for, baka Most Valuable Prisoner,” Estrada said in a chance interview on the sidelines of his bail hearing at the Sandiganbayan yesterday.

Estrada is detained for plunder at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame in connection with the pork barrel scam.

Earlier reports said Binay is eyeing either businessman Manuel Pangilinan, known by his initials MVP, or Sen. Manny Villar as running mate.

Estrada said he would respect Binay’s choice, but noted that it is too early to talk about the 2016 elections.

He said he would push through his plan to seek a higher post in the 2016 elections, confident that the case filed against him is weak. He added that he has yet to discuss his political plans with Binay.

Former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada said Binay as presidential candidate has the prerogative to choose his running mate.

“I respect the choice of the VP for his tandem… usually it’s the presidential candidate who chooses his vice president,” he told The STAR.

The mayor said he has not spoken with Binay on Jinggoy’s chances of being chosen as his running mate, even as he admitted that the Vice President might not pick him.

He said Pangilinan is a welcome candidate for vice president.

“He is not a politician. He is a pure businessman. He might be able to help in our economy,” he said. “It’s a good tandem, MVP is a businessman while Binay is popular.”

He said he has no problem with Villar, who was speaker when the House of Representatives fast-tracked the impeachment complaint against him.

“I am a very forgiving man. The others were the ones who get even with my enemies. He landed third during the last presidential elections in 2010,” he said.

Estrada and Binay were running mates under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), a coalition of Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino and Binay’s Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan.

Estrada said he would support Binay, who will be UNA’s standard-bearer in the 2016 elections.