Far from parting ways

Wearing a silvery suit with bright orange necktie, former President Joseph Estrada looked dapper with his well-coiffed hair and moustache. These are his much popular features that have distinguished him all these years starting as an action star until he joined Philippine politics.

It was a big night of celebrating his diamond year as he turned 75 years old last April 19. The reception was held at Le Pavillion on Roxas Boulevard last Thursday night. Over a thousand guests came in and out while many of them stayed throughout the entire party, including no less than President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and his siblings.

Also seated with P-Noy and Estrada at the presidential table were Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., ex-Speaker Jose de Venecia, Ballsy Aquino-Cruz, and Pinky and Manolo Abellada. Several Aquino Cabinet officials were also invited to the party such as Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, and presidential political affairs adviser Ronald Llamas.

Loyal friends and associates came in full force if only to show their faces to Estrada. They included El Shaddai leader Bro. Mike Velarde and Filipino-Chinese businessmen friends of Estrada like William Gatchalian and Andrew Gotianun, to name some of those I knew by face.

Many of his friends from the film industry were also there at the party led by Susan Roces, widow of his late buddy Fernando Poe Jr., and their daughter Grace Llamanzares who is now P-Noy’s chairperson at the Movie and Television Review Classification Board (MTRCB); Amalia Fuentes, and Estrada’s favorite leading lady, Boots Anson-Roa, who emceed the program.

Estrada’s former Ateneo High School classmates and ex-Cabinet officials and their respective spouses even contributed song-and-dance numbers during the program. Nearly of the same age range with the birthday celebrator, the Estrada Cabinet officials sang and gyrated to the popular “Hagibis” medley. Donning blue and yellow jackets with the words “Erap Forever” emblazoned on the back, former secretaries Jose “Titoy” Pardo (Finance), Gregorio Vigilar (Public Works and Highways), and Alberto Romualdez (Health), and ex-Presidential Management Staff head Alexander Aguirre, among others, stole the show.

From my estimation, comprising the biggest group of guests in that Estrada birthday bash were politicians practically from all parties such as former Ambassador Ernesto Maceda, former Manila mayor Lito Atienza, et al.

This should be no wonder because Estrada remains a political force to reckon with. This was best evidenced by his second-place finish, closely behind P-Noy, in the May 2010 presidential elections.

In his birthday speech, Estrada reiterated that he has long forgiven the people who have “wronged” him. He quoted anew his favorite lines from “The Lord’s Prayer” as constant reminder after going through those darkest days in his life as he was detained away from his families. “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sinned against us…” This should best indicate Estrada camp’s willingness to continue its collaboration with the ruling administration party.

I did not notice if Liberal Party (LP) chieftain, Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Secretary Mar Roxas, went to the Erap birthday party. I’m sure he was invited. After all, Roxas once served in the Estrada Cabinet before the latter’s presidency was cut short by EDSA-2 in January 2001. Roxas parted ways with Estrada before the ex-president got impeached in Congress.

Incidentally, Estrada took the opportunity to again praise his former Cabinet members, none of whom, he said, were implicated in any graft or corruption cases during his shortened administration.

Roxas was subsequently appointed to the same Cabinet post by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo when she took over the helm of the government from Estrada.

Fast forward, Roxas lost to Binay who was Estrada’s vice presidential running mate. Roxas filed an electoral protest against Binay before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET). P-Noy appointed Binay as head of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and concurrently as presidential adviser for overseas Filipino workers.

At present, Binay and Roxas are both serving in the Aquino Cabinet. Now, the rivalry seems to have been re-ignited this early following the latest political developments.

Binay’s PDP-Laban and Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) have re-joined their forces for the May 2013 elections under the umbrella of the United National Alliance (UNA). Now, this has obviously started ripples in the political field, especially after the initial list of possible senatorial candidates of UNA did not include any LP member.

It reached higher decibels after Binay frankly declared – for the nth time – his possible gearing up for the May 2016 presidential elections. LP stalwarts naturally started making noises. Then came the Palace statement about the “inevitable parting of ways” of Binay and P-Noy. This unauthorized statement made by deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte added fuel to the political heat.

Thus, P-Noy, as the highest elected official of the LP, had to step in to put out the fire. He went to the Coconut Palace office of the Vice President on Roxas Boulevard and later attended the birthday celebration of Estrada.

At first, I thought P-Noy just dropped by at the party. Just after the first course was served, P-Noy stood up and Estrada followed to walk with him toward the side-door exit. When the two left, I took the opportunity to sit behind the presidential table so I could talk with Binay who remained seated there.

However, P-Noy and Estrada came back a few minutes later and rejoined the rest at the presidential table. It turned out the two just had a cigarette break outside the venue. Just don’t ask how many cigarette sticks the smoking buddies had for their nicotine fix. And the two had a smoking break not just once but twice during the entire time that P-Noy stayed at the party.

For a bit of trivia, P-Noy smokes Marlboro while Estrada puffs Lucky Strike without filter but uses a targard.

With P-Noy himself attending and even staying on for almost four hours during Erap’s birthday celebration, this was more than enough proof that there would be no such parting of ways, at least for now.