Erap cares for 'Mali'

MANILA, Philippines - Former President Joseph Estrada has joined the numerous celebrities and known personalities in calling for the immediate transfer of ailing elephant Mali from the Manila Zoo to a sanctuary in Thailand, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said on Friday.

PETA said Estrada, who is running for mayor in the city of Manila, sent a letter to the group to express his support of the campaign for Mali's transfer.

It said that Estrada cited in the letter that he also condemns the conditions in which Mali has been forced to live.

"It is not right for people, especially children, to see lonely, ailing, and depressed animals living in deplorable conditions," PETA said, quoting Estrada's letter.

PETA said that in its meeting with Estrada, the former president said:"I care about everyone in the Philippines. Mali is an example of how we can right some of the wrongs of the past and teach compassion and understanding to a whole generation. She may be seen as 'just an elephant' to some, but she symbolizes so much more."

Despite a congressional resolution supporting her transfer and the backing of international celebrities, thousands of school students, and religious leaders, the Manila Zoo is delaying Mali's transfer.

Other high-profile figures have called for Mali's transfer, including French film legend Brigitte Bardot, music icons Ely Buendia and Morrissey, and Nobel Prize-winning author J.M. Coetzee.