Erap and his recipe for happiness

MANILA, Philippines - After receiving an invitation last weekend from former Pres. Joseph “Erap” Estrada to attend a reunion of his class at St. John’s Academy (SJA), we quickly decided to attend. Perhaps he was launching his music album? Whatever, we thought it would be fun.

We were not mistaken. Coming in late from another reunion at the Vera-Perez compound in San Juan, we witnessed a full house of over a hundred at the roof-deck of EMAR building in Shaw Blvd., which Erap owned and leased out to call centers, Pagcor and individuals. A large tarpaulin was plastered on the wall with the greeting Happy Diamond Anniversary, Ditas! and the gigantic photo of Ditas herself. We ask around. Who is Ditas? It’s her birthday today, was the answer.

We looked around, found three from our high school batch — Pilar Hocson Batac, Herman Lazo and Jesse Ejercito, younger brother of Erap. The rest were Erap’s batchmates although he never really stayed long at SJA. Erap moved from table to table which not only had St. Johnites but political friends and enemies, as it is no secret Erap didn’t dwell on enmity for long.

We remember how shocked we were to find Erap at the wake of his mother Doña Mary accepting condolences from Chavit Singson, principal instigator for Estrada’s imprisonment. And here he was, like nothing happened. Erap seemingly forgives without effort, which is perhaps why people, politicians and otherwise, find it easy to say ‘Sorry,’ from the bishops to Cory Aquino, to numerous nameless persons who did him wrong at EDSA 2. Yes, he forgives. But we wonder if he forgets?

Bo Cerrudo (rightmost) serenades Erap and Ditas

 Nowadays, he spends time bonding with old friends, finding excuses to party like tonight. He likes going back to his youth, says Evelyn Lopez, once his Undersecretary of Internal House Affairs at the Palace. It is obvious that one of the secrets to his still charismatic and youthful appearance is his allegiance to wine, women and song of which he never made secret. No matter if this devotion would fuel stories of midnight cabinet powwows that dealt with less business and more inebriation; of mansions built to the women in his life; of videos showing him holding fort at gaming resorts. Some were true, most were false. And tonight’s party was once again in its celebration.

Erap makes jokes out of everything. He even finds funny jokes about his lack of intellect and his wrong English. Q: Why does Erap keep empty beer bottles in his fridge? A: They are for those who don’t drink! Of course, nothing could be farther from the truth. Although a college dropout, he is street smart and articulate in Tagalog and English as his speeches in Congress will attest.

Who is Ditas? We press brother Jesse. President Erap answers the question himself as Bo Cerrudo serenades the couple with ballads dripping with romance to the utter enjoyment of the crowd. As he leads Ditas (Mercedita Carmona Fajardo) to the stage, Erap confesses she was his first love and first kiss when she was 16, and he 15, and now they were 75 and 74 and the crowd roared with approval. And Erap was beaming with happiness as he took the microphone to sing as everyone expected him to.

Throughout his checkered career, Erap had refused to be disillusioned and defeated. He believed history would bear him out. In his half century of public service since 1968 as San Juan Mayor, to senator, vice president to president in 1998, he never wavered from his pro-poor stance, anti-US stand, belief in the legalization of the numbers game jueteng, position that women had the right to choose what method of family planning to adapt, and a strong arm policy in Mindanao. These are issues that today still afflict the nation.

In his 1988 privileged speech for the abrogation of the US Bases Agreement, then Sen. Estrada said, “Let this be our finest hour as we face the judgment of history. We have become so dependent on the Americans that we have not learned to be self-sufficient. Our country has been seen as a nation of beggars, a nation of prostitutes, a nation of cheaters, a nation of domestic helpers. And if we do not assert ourselves today, we will also be known as a nation of cowards. This I cannot accept and this, we must not accept.” The anti-bases Magnificent 12 triumphed. Yet today, we still seek protection from the US, the RH bill continues to divide the nation, Mindanao has gained strength from overt cuddling by the past government, and the poor have become poorer than ever.

Apparently, Erap is now being sought to run in 2013 as mayor of Manila City versus Mayor Alfredo Lim, with former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza as running-mate. The city with its overwhelming poor population could handily deliver the vote, as they showed in 2010 when Erap ran for president against Noynoy Aquino, Manny Villar, Gibo Teodoro and finished second. There are many convinced that had the well-loved Cory Aquino not died prior to elections, Erap could again have been elected President. But destiny had other plans for P-Noy.

Why would a former president run for city mayor just to be vindicated from his illegal removal from power in 2001? Why would he stress himself and end up like his best friend FPJ who now appears to have won the presidency and not Gloria Macapagal? After all, he still has the company of friends and his advocacies. All through his six-year imprisonment, he never forgot to send goods to the poor municipalities on his birthday and on Christmas. And he never forgot to send those in hospitals their packaged Noche Buena. This made him truly happy, Evelyn told us.

As we leave the party, Erap was still enjoying the music with his favorite singer Dulce. We wave and silently wish him well. May he who has discovered the key to happiness continue to do so all the days of his life.

(E-mail me at [email protected])