Joseph Erap Estrada News

Opposition battle seen in Caloocan

Manila Bulletin - Monday, November 23

The recent defection of Caloocan City Mayor Enrico Echiverri from the ruling Lakas-CMD Party to the Liberal Party (LP) will result in a political battle between two opposition groups in the 2010 elections at the local level.

Pablo Casimina, a former city administrator who now works with the Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) of former President Joseph Estrada, said Monday Lakas-CMD is practically decimated in Caloocan City with the political move taken by Echiverri.

Expected to contest Echiverri's group or the newly converted LP group is a coalition led by the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) headed by former Rep. More »

  • Erap, Binay show fine running form

    Manila Bulletin - Sunday, November 22

    Showing their fitness and agility for the presidential and vice presidential race in 2010, former President Joseph Estrada and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay jogged a loop at the newly inaugurated track and field oval of the University of Makati Sunday morning.

  • Comelec acts on issues involving rights of bets

    Manila Bulletin - Saturday, November 21

    The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is poised to take the first crack at issues affecting the right to run in the May 10, 2010 polls of candidates for President, Vice President and Senator who do not possess constitutional and legal qualifications of the office to which they aspire to be elected.

    The Comelec, led by Chairman Jose A.R. Melo, approved en banc Resolution No. 8696 giving it the power to refuse motu proprio or even without a verified petition, giving due course to or even cancel the certificates of candidacy of such candidates.

    "This means that the Comelec, as an independent constitutional office and supreme guardian of election laws, can rule firsthand, whether President Arroyo, the moment she files her certificate of candidacy, can run for any of the positions at stake in the elections, except for President," prominent election lawyers said.

    The lawyers said the Comelec, by invoking en banc Resolution 8696, can also rule that former President Joseph Estrada can again run for President as contended by him and his lawyers or he is constitutionally barred from doing so as argued by other sectors.

    "Comelec will also enrich Philippine jurisprudence if it will rule on whether former Senate President Franklin M. Drilon who served for two consecutive terms in the Senate for a total of 12 years can already run for Senator after an interim of only three years," lawyers Francisco B. Sibayan and Yasser B. Lumbos said.

    They said if Comelec waits for a petition to be filed to question the constitutional qualifications of certain candidadates, the printing of ballots for automated elections will be delayed as it normally takes time to resolve difficult legal issues.

    "On the other hand, the Comelec ruling, provided there is no grave abuse of discretion, could be upheld or deemed upheld by the Supreme Court by not issuing a temporary restraining order against such ruling," Sibayan said.

  • Erap airs his pro-jueteng agenda over GMANews.TV ‘Examine!’

    GMANews.TV - Saturday, November 21

    If the rich man's gambling games such as casino, cock-fighting, and horse-racing are considered acceptable and can be legalized, why can't the poor man's “jueteng" be legalized and deemed socially acceptable as well?

  • Aquino clear favorite to be next Philippine president, says poll

    Manila Bulletin - Monday, November 16

    MANILA, November 16, 2009 (AFP) - The son of Philippine democracy champion Corazon Aquino is an overwhelming favorite to win next next year's presidential election, according to a national survey released on Monday.

    Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino Jr. attracted 44 percent support in a poll of preferred presidents, with millionaire property developer Manny Villar a distant second with 19 percent, polling and research company PulseAsia said.

    The survey of 1,800 respondents around the country was taken in late October, and was the first by PulseAsia since Aquino announced his presidential run in September.

    In a worrying development for President Gloria Arroyo's ruling coalition, its candidate, Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, attracted just two percent support.

    His dismal ratings came even after he took a high-profile role leading disaster relief efforts for two deadly storms that hit the Philippines from late September and claimed more than 1,100 lives.

    PulseAsia said the clamor for clean governance was the top reason for Aquino's strong support.

    "The reason most-often cited in expressing a voting preference for a possible presidential candidate is (Aquino's) clean public record or, alternatively, not being corrupt," PulseAsia said in a statement.

    Aquino has recorded few political achievements during his 11 years in parliament, but he is immensely popular because of his mother, who led the "people power" revolution that ended dictator Ferdinand Marcos' reign in 1986.

    Her subsequent six-year rule of the Philippines was generally regarded as being relatively clean, compared with the corruption-plagued government's of her predecessor and some of her successors.

    Her death in August triggered a huge outpouring of support for the Aquino family, and her son used that emotion to transform himself from a political lightweight into presidential frontrunner.

    Former president Joseph Estrada, who was overthrown in 2001 a bloodless coup amid widespread anger over corruption for which he was later found guilty, is seeking to run again in next year's election.

    He was in fourth place in the PulseAsia survey with 11 percent support.

  • Erap sees widespread exodus

    Manila Bulletin - Saturday, November 14

    Former President Joseph Estrada expressed confidence Saturday that the widespread exodus of pro-administration stalwarts to benefit the political opposition will go full swing after the Nov. 30 deadline of the filing of certificates of candidacy before the Commission on Elections (Comelec), an event which will allow their names to become public record.

    Mass defections of political luminaries, Estrada said, is a natural occurrence in Philippine politics since the country earned its independence that opened the doors for Filipinos to exercise their right of suffrage.

    The statement of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) standard bearer came about after he had sworn-in several political figures allied with the administration, as well as a host of others who had previously been reported to support other presidential campaigns other than Estrada's.

    Realignment of political forces, according to Estrada, is nothing new in Philippine politics, an occurrence that happens months before Election Day, which he described as an ingredient that adds more zest to the political spectrum.

    In fact, he cited administration presidential candidate Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. as having admitted mass defections from the administration ranks to other political parties.

    On the departure of former administration allies, Teodoro was quoted to have admitted that such a move is normal in Philippine politics.

    Even after Estrada had sworn-in the new members of his party, he refused to identify them ''as a sign of respect, but will do so at the proper time.''

    But, after the Comelec Nov. 30 deadline, Estrada said, the realignment of political parties and the flight of top names from the administration ranks ''will become the order of the day.''

  • Bongbong may join senatorial slates of two parties

    Manila Bulletin - Friday, November 13

    The son and namesake of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos has accepted the offer of former President Joseph Estrada to be a guest candidate in the senatorial line up of the former leader's Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).

  • Lakas-Kampi CMD nominates actor for vice president

    Manila Bulletin - Friday, November 13

    MANILA, November 13, 2009 (AFP) - Philippine President Gloria Arroyo's preferred successor on Friday announced a film and TV star as his running mate for next year's presidential elections in a bid to boost his struggling campaign.

    Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro paraded actor and television game show host Edu Manzano, 54, as his vice presidential candidate at a news conference here.

    ''I need a running mate who will be able to influence the way our people think,'' said Teodoro after the pair engaged in awkward fist bumps for the cameras.

    ''He would be a big influence, a motivating tool to launch our platform.'' Teodoro, 45, is the presidential candidate for the ruling Lakas-Kampi CMD but he is lagging badly in the polls with just a four percent share of the projected vote, according to the latest surveys.

    Senator Benigno Aquino, son of the late democracy icon Corazon Aquino, is the clear favourite with 60 percent support.

    Filipinos have had a penchant for electing celebrities to high office.

    Most famously, B-grade movie actor Joseph Estrada became president in 1998, before losing power in a bloodless coup three years later amid allegations of massive graft.

    Estrada, who was jailed for life for corruption but later pardoned by Arroyo, is seeking to run again for president next year.

    His actor son Jose Estrada, is also a senator, while incumbent vice president Noli de Castro rose to prominence as a television presenter.

    Arroyo, who cannot run for re-election, narrowly defeated the late Philippine movie king Fernando Poe in the 2004 election.

    Born in the United States to Filipino parents, Manzano joined the US military at 17, serving for four years, before moving to the Philippines to pursue a full-time career in the local movie industry.

    He has a child but is no longer with former movie queen-turned-provincial governor Vilma Santos, whom the ruling party had also briefly considered for the vice presidential post.

    Manzano is currently dating a television presenter at the country's largest television network, and hosts a game show programme at the same station.

  • No regrets, says Erap

    Manila Bulletin - Thursday, November 12

    Former President Joseph Estrada admitted on Thursday that his biggest mistake was stepping down in 2001 that brought to a successful conclusion the power-grab scheme of the rich in collusion with some political and church personalities to rob the poor of his anti-poverty platform.

    ''And learning from experience and from that mistake, a repeat of such a horrible manipulation to remove a constitutionally-installed president would not be allowed to happen again in the second Estrada administration,'' Estrada said.

    But he stressed that although it was a huge mistake to step down in January 2001, he has no regrets having made that decision to go on official leave, but not resigning from the presidency, pointing to the absence of bloodshed in the streets.

    ''Loss of lives would have been allowed to happen by the coup-plotters who were both determined and desperate to sow violence at the expense of innocent people in their hunger and haste to attain un-earned power,'' Estrada said.

    The popular opposition leader, who has announced his decision to run in the May 2010 presidential race, also said that learning from the experience of his abbreviated presidential term in 2001, he will continue exercising caution in trusting ''so-called friends in sheep's clothing.''

    ''But one thing sure, I will not be allowed to be dictated by the agony of the past in the day-to-day governance in the forthcoming Estrada administration,'' he said, adding that he will use that experience to benefit all social classes of Filipinos specially those who live way below the poverty line.

  • Plaza joins Estrada Senate slate

    Manila Bulletin - Wednesday, November 11

    Former President Joseph Estrada said Wednesday that the inclusion of Rep.

  • Estrada, Mancao meet at party

    Philstar.com - Wednesday, November 11

    MANILA, Philippines - Former President Joseph Estrada, who was linked to the Dacer-Corbito murder case, sat at the same table with his accuser, ex-police colonel Cesar Mancao, at a birthday bash of a lawyer in Pasig City Monday night.

  • Transport group backs Erap 2010 bid

    Manila Bulletin - Tuesday, November 10

    The more than 100,000 strong Pasang Masda jeep drivers' transport group of Luzon and its affiliates from other regions declared Tuesday their nationwide support behind former President Joseph Estrada's quest for a fresh mandate in the May 2010 presidential elections in a meeting they held with the popular opposition leader at the Nipa Hut in Pasig City Tuesday night.

    Pasang Masda is an acronym of Pinagkaisahang Sangguniang Manila and Suburbs Drivers Association, the moderate transport group of jeep drivers moving daily hundreds of thousands of commuters to their places to and from work.

    In throwing their support behind Estrada's campaign for the top position of the land, the drivers virtually told Estrada he could count on them to help deliver the same number of votes they, together with millions of the nation's poor, gave him in 1998 that sent him to Malacañang for a 6-year term that was cut short by the power-grab events of January 2001.

    Speaking for the group in Pilipino, Pasang Masda chairman Ka Obet Martin told Estrada his pro-poor advocacy remains to be the driving force among jeep drivers to continue supporting him as they have done in all his past electoral races from Mayor, Senator, Vice President, and finally the Presidency.

    Ka Obet told Estrada they will espouse his candidacy on the same anti-poverty platform as the standard bearer of Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), the political party Estrada founded when he ran for President in 1998.

    Estrada's anti-poverty platform has been the mark of his political career as a public servant since he was San Juan Mayor, Senator, Vice President, and finally as Commander-in-Chief.

    ''Erap's continuing concern of the plight for the underprivileged and undiminished advocacy and concern for the masses makes him different from all the rest,'' said the Pasang Masda head in the vernacular.

    Other Pasang Masda members maintained they believe in Estrada's consistent pro-poor concern which includes them as ''lowly-jeep drivers'' bereft of social benefits such as health care and life insurance.

    ''That commitment towards those who have less in life is a trait that cannot be taken away from Estrada,'' they said in Pilipino.

    At the same time during the same event, the drivers asked Estrada to be the honorary chairman for Pasang Masda.

  • Erap, Mommy Dionisia welcome fans tonight

    Manila Bulletin - Tuesday, November 10

    Former President Joseph Estrada, together with Mrs.

  • Erap cites loyalty of friends

    Manila Bulletin - Saturday, November 7

    Former President Joseph Estrada said Saturday he will not stop anyone from the movies who will support other presidential candidates other than him because of loyalty to relatives of other aspirants citing that freedom to choose is the heart and soul of democracy, adding that "that is what friends are for, to stay with and behind each other in both the good and the bad times."

    "That's completely okay with me because such a gesture is a laudable character trait of loyalty as friends that should be admired and commended," said Estrada who is well-known for his loyalty to friends he has kept to this day since his days as a movie megastar.

    This was Estrada's reaction to a report that Ai-Ai de las Alas, his leading lady in his come-back movie "Ang Tanging Pamilya," said she may support Sen.