Erap: Unpopular opposition presidential hopefuls should forget ambitions

Former President Joseph Estrada called on opposition presidential candidates who are at the tail-end of different surveys to forget their presidential ambitions and instead rally behind the opposition’s presidential and vice presidential candidates. 

Interviewed during the Christmas party of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada and Sen. Gregorio Honasan Friday in San Juan, Estrada practically told opposition candidates who are not in the number one and two spots to give up their palace dreams.

“Whoever is number one and number two in the survey, they can run as opposition candidates… those who are not in these spots should back out and help us in unifying the (vote for the) opposition,” Estrada said.

“They are all intelligent people, once the survey shows that they are not in the first three, why will they still continue? They will just be wasting their money,” he added.

The ousted president said it is still too early for the opposition under his Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) to announce whether the party would coalesce and support the bids of former Senate president Manuel Villar Jr. of Nacionalista Party and/or Nationalist People’s Coalition’s (NPC) Sen. Loren Legarda.  

Estrada, however, did not discount the possibility of running in the 2010 presidential election saying a five-way fight, with him running and representing the opposition, is not far-fetched.

In a telephone interview with The STAR, Estrada said this scenario is possible once the presidential wannabes in the opposition would not unite to select a single candidate.

Estrada was reacting to earlier news reports that the NPC, headed by business tycoon Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr., is eyeing to field the tandem of Legarda and Escudero in the 2010 presidential elections.

“If the opposition will not unite to a single candidate, I will definitely run for president in 2010. Although that is still too far away,” Estrada said.

The ousted leader said he can consider getting Binay as his running-mate once this scenario happens.

He said he doesn’t believe that party affiliation has any bearing with the voting populace.

Both Villar and Legarda have been in hot pursuit of the number one and two spots in the different surveys like Pulse Asia, Social Weather Stations and other poll firms. 

It is not known who between the two of them would slide down to vice-president if ever one of them is anointed as the opposition’s presidential bet.

However, Estrada’s support for Villar is doubtful after his son, Jinggoy, participated in the coup against the former Senate president and installed Enrile as the chamber’s leader.  

Estrada has maintained he did not have anything to do with Villar’s ouster.

Asked about the plans of Villar, Legarda and Sen. Panfilo Lacson, Estrada noted that only Villar and Legarda are topping the surveys. 

“I think they (Villar and Legarda) are rating in the surveys. I think Sen. (Panfilo) Lacson had learned his lessons (in 2004) when he ran against (the late action star) Fernando Poe Jr.,” he added.  – With Jose Rodel Clapano