Danding may dump Estrada for SMC stake

Businessman Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco Jr. wants to save his chairmanship of food and beverage giant San Miguel Corp. and more than P100 billion in coconut levy funds by dumping his friend, deposed President Joseph Estrada, an administration congressman said yesterday.

The source, who requested anonymity, was commenting on the decision of Cojuangco’s Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) to desert Estrada’s Lapian ng Masang Pilipino (LAMP).

For his part, Bohol Rep. Ernesto Herrera said Co-juangco’s move was basically a "business decision."

"Danding is primarily a businessman," Herrera said.

"We have decided to go it alone," Cojuangco told reporters Thursday night during a meeting with more than 60 NPC congressmen at his home in New Manila, Quezon City, not far from the controversial "Boracay mansion" which Estrada and his mistress Laarni Enriquez allegedly own.

Following Estrada’s assumption of the presidency in 1998, Cojuangco took over SMC with the help of government representatives in the company.

The government controls 27 percent of SMC, a food and beverage conglomerate.

An executive order subsequently issued by Estrada was largely viewed as favorable to Cojuangco.

Cojuangco was Estrada’s standard-bearer in the 1992 elections when the deposed leader was elected vice president.

Administration officials have hinted that they wanted Cojuangco to be unseated as SMC chairman.

For young congressmen who have joined the NPC, deserting LAMP meant shaking off the "Estrada baggage."

"When we face the people in the May elections, we don’t want to be asked about the alleged misdeeds of Erap (Estrada), particularly his supposed ill-gotten wealth. We don’t want to be forced to defend him," an NPC member said.

The NPC is adopting a policy of "critical collaboration" with the Arroyo administration.

It intends to field a complete Senate ticket in the forthcoming polls. However, only one senatorial hopeful, former Press Secretary Ricardo Puno, showed up in Thursday night’s meeting.

Among those who showed up was former Ambassador to Washington Ernesto Maceda, who recently served as Estrada’ spokesman for the impeachment trial.

Maceda belittled last month’s rapidly burgeoning protest rallies and marches that eventually toppled the Estrada leadership.

Maceda, also a former Senate president, predicted that the anti-Estrada protest actions would inevitably die down without achieving anything.

After Estrada was unseated, Maceda hogged the limelight anew for allegedly seeking tax exemptions for two luxury vehicles he is bringing in from the United States.

Two of his aides were also requesting for the same treatment for themselves.

However, the Department of Foreign Affairs denied their requests.

Ople: NPC a big loss to LAMP

Senate President Pro Tempore Blas Ople said the NPC’s decision to break away from LAMP was a big loss to the former opposition coalition and could adversely affect the party’s performance in the May polls.

The NPC, along with the Partido ng Masang Pilipino headed by Estrada and the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) led by former Executive Secretary Edgardo Angara, formed the LAMP that carried Estrada to the presidency.

For its part, the LDP will decide on Feb. 7 whether it will also bolt LAMP and field its own senatorial bets in the coming elections.

During the LDP convention to be held at the Manila Hotel, the party will also review its alliance with other minor parties to ensure victory in the polls.

Ople, who heads the LDP in Bulacan, said his party will continue to honor its strategic alliance with the ruling Lakas-NUCD.

He also said the LDP in Bulacan will support the candidacy of incumbent Gov. Josie de la Cruz while his son Raul will run under the Lakas-LDP banner against the incumbent Rep. Willie Alvarado.