Erap showcases mass appeal in final sortie in Tondo : ANDREO C. CALONZO, GMANews.TV

In his final sortie for the upcoming May polls, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino standard-bearer former President Joseph Estrada had one message: “Akin ang Tondo." (Tondo is mine.)

Showing that he still has the common touch, Estrada and the rest of his party held on Saturday night their miting de avance in Tondo, Manila—traditionally one of the poorest areas in the country’s capital city, with its foreshore areas home to urban informal settlers from the post-World War II period onwards.



Estrada said during the evening rally that he personally chose Tondo as the venue for his party’s final sortie since it is his birthplace and the starting point of his career as an actor.

“Ito po ay Tondo. Dito po ako ipinanganak sa Tondo, kaya mahal na mahal ko po ang Tondo. Ang Tondo po ang nagpasikat sa akin bilang artista (This is Tondo. I was born here in Tondo, and so it’s very close to my heart. It was Tondo that made me into a popular actor)," he said in his speech before a jampacked Plaza Hernandez in front of Tondo’s Sto. Nino church.

Estrada, who was ousted from the presidency in 2001 through a popular mass uprising, appealed to the residents of Tondo to give him the chance to finish his “pro-poor" platforms.

“Ako lang po ang inyong naging pangulo na talagang kandidato ng masang Pilipino… Hindi niyo po ako iniwan kaya hindi ko rin kayo iiwan (I’m the only President you’ve had who was truly the candidate of the Filipino masses… You didn’t abandon me, and so I also wouldn’t abandon you)," he said.

Present during the sortie were PMP’s vice-presidential bet, Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay, and senatorial aspirants Senator Jinggoy Estrada, JV Bautista, Francisco Tatad, Jun Lozada and Jose de Venecia III.

Manila mayoral candidate Lito Atienza and vice-mayoral aspirant councilor Bonjay Isip-Garcia were also present during the miting de avance

Tirades

In his own speech during the same final rally, Binay launched tirades against his closest rival, Liberal Party vice-presidential bet Manuel Roxas II.

Binay insisted that Roxas is not a real opposition candidate, having been part of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Cabinet.

“Siya ang unang Cabinet member na nang-iwan kay Erap at lumipat sa panig ni Gloria Arroyo… Mar Roxas, magpakalalaki ka naman! (He was the first Cabinet member who abandoned Erap and moved to Gloria Arroyo’s camp… Mar Roxas, act for once like a real man!)" he said in his speech.

Binay also accused Roxas on banking on the popularity of his running mate, Senator Benigno Aquino III, who continues to lead in various presidential preference surveys.

“Bakit palagi kang nakakapit sa palda ng iyong kandidato? Hindi mo ba kayang lumabang mag-isa? (Why do you always hold on to the skirt of your running mate? Are you incapable of fighting alone?)," he said.

A survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) in early May showed Binay and Roxas tied as top contenders for the country’s second highest post.

The PMP vice-presidential aspirant also maintained that his party is the only true opposition vying for seats in the May polls.

“Ang PMP lang ang tunay na oposisyon. ‘Yung mga nagpapanggap na oposisyon, mga peke po iyan (Only the PMP is the real opposition. Those who pretend to be part of the opposition, those are fake)," he said.

Despite his carrying the PMP banner, Binay in fact stated his party affiliation as PDP-Laban when he filed his certificate of candidacy for vice-president last year.

Erap country?

Some Tondo residents insist that their district is still “Erap country" despite the fact that another presidential aspirant, Senator Manuel Villar Jr., claim strong support in the area which was also his birthplace.

Villar, who is the Nacionalista Party standard bearer, has apparently lost some ground in the most recent SWS survey by sliding into third place, while Estrada has replaced him at second place.

This last-minute surge has revived hopes among many of Estrada’s followers that their idol indeed has a fighting chance to regain the Presidency.

Housewife Carmelita Gabion said she wants Estrada back in Malacanang because she believes the former president is what the country needs at present.

“Gusto ko si Erap dahil mabait siya. Kailangan siya ng masa ngayon. Mananalo iyang si Erap (I like Erap because he’s kind. The masses need him now. Erap will win)," she said while wearing Estrada’s trademark orange wristband.

For 56-year-old vendor Myrna Hipoloto, Tondo is and always has been a bulwark of support for Estrada.

“Sana nga manalo siya. Maraming may gusto sa kanya, lalo na dito sa Tondo. Hawak ni Erap ang Tondo (We do hope he wins. We are many who like him, especially here in Tondo. Erap owns Tondo)," she said.—JV, GMANews.TV

It's final: Erap can run

It’s final: former President Joseph Estrada can run again for president.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday affirmed a previous decision allowing the former chief executive to join the May 10 presidential elections.
The poll body, on the other hand, upheld the disqualification of actor Richard Gomez and Abraham Khali Mitra in the congressional races in Leyte’s fourth district and Palawan’s second district, respectively. It dismissed for lack of merit the disqualification case filed by former Caloocan City mayor Luis Asistio against incumbent Mayor Enrico Echiverri.
In a five-page resolution, the Comelec denied the disqualification case filed by lawyer Evelio Formento against Estrada for lack of merit.
The commission said Formento failed to present any new and sufficient argument to make it take a second look into the complaint.
In a separate concurring opinion, Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said the 1987 Constitution did not tackle whether an elected president who did not finish his term may run again for the same position.
“What is only clear is that an elected president who has served his six-year term is forever prohibited from running in the same office. Therefore, Estrada is eligible to run for the presidency this May 10 automated elections,” Sarmiento said.
Estrada lauded the Comelec for removing the stumbling block on his second bid for the presidency.
His spokeswoman, Margaux Salcedo, said the Comelec decision puts to rest doubts on Estrada’s qualifications as a presidential candidate.
Formento, meantime, informed the Comelec that he would file a motion for certiorari before the Supreme Court.
Formento argued that the former president has been convicted and is therefore not qualified to run for any public office.
But the Comelec’s Second Division junked Formento’s disqualification case against Estrada and said the people should be allowed to decide who would be the country’s next president.

It ain’t over — not by a long mile

Noynoy Aquino says he won’t fall into a trap by replying to the many accusations against him, especially on questions raised about his mental health.

Truth is, neither Noynoy Aquino nor his spokesmen really answered any of the allegations leveled against him, whether it is the Hacienda Luisita issue, the diversion of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, his do-nothing record in his 11 years as a legislator, his lack of managerial and administrative experience, or even his record as a salesman of Nike shoes and as manager of the hacienda, where big losses were incurred. And of course his alleged mental disorder.

All he and his spokesmen do is to deny the charges, aided greatly by their yellow media that always make sure to put him in the best light.

Yet he and his Liberal Party (LP) supporters are quick to demand explanations when charges are leveled against his political rivals when they deny these charges. So why the double standard? What makes them think that a denial is sufficient explanation when it comes to Noynoy, but not sufficient for the others?

What Noynoy and his yellows may not realize is that his refusal to answer these charges, or even accept challenges from many quarters to prove their allegations wrong, may just be hurting him and his candidacy.

He and his yellows, so filled with hubris in the belief that, due to his high survey score, already has the presidency in the bag, to the point of Noynoy threatening to unleash people power even worse than Thailand’s civil unrest caused by the month-long Red Shirts protesters, should he be cheated, since he says that the only thing that would make him lose the presidency is that he will be cheated out of his victory.

Such a position taken by Noynoy and his yellows make him a very dangerous person as he is fast proving himself to be someone who believes in vengeful destruction — to the point of not caring whether Filipinos are killed or injured — as long as he gets his way — and that is his presidency.

He and his yellows may think that, when they create trouble — and through a people power revolt — the Filipinos will rally round their call. They may have another think coming. They do not have the masses behind them, apart from which, Filipinos are tired of public uprisings. In short, Filipinos are suffering from people power fatigue.

This is borne out by the fact that instead of rallying round the protesters in 2006 at Edsa, over the “Hello Garci” tapes exposé, which had Gloria Arroyo caught on tape talking to then poll commissioner Virgilio “Garci” Garcillano to pad her votes, and subtract from the votes of the then opposition standard bearer, Fernando Poe Jr., the “people power” revolt fizzled out. First because the military that the protesters were banking on to join them, didn’t appear and second, but most important, the Filipinos preferred a more peaceful way of getting rid of Gloria — through the ballot during the 2007 senatorial elections as a loud protest as the opposition senatorial bets were swept to victory, and again, in 2010, through the presidential polls.

Gloria is no longer a candidate for the presidency. While many still dislike her immensely, she really is no longer the issue, as she is stepping out of Malacañang.

Noynoy and his yellows appear to believe that to keep blasting away at Gloria would do the trick for him, but this hasn’t worked, even if they go by their surveys, since Noynoy’s scores have remained static for months.

Noynoy and his yellows, who, long before the polls open, are already popping the bubbly, with their basis for victory the survey ratings, which are pretty dubious.

Still and all, as he remains silent over the allegations of his mental health, his hacienda and SCTex issues and his clear inability to lead the country, he may just be seen as evading the issue, because these allegations leveled against him may well have more than a grain of truth in them.

As it is always said, it ain’t over until it’s over — even when the fat lady sings.

eh bakit nga ba si Erap ang dapat?

Eh ‘diba na-convict na ‘yan?
 
Saan na-convict? Sa pulitika? Sa intriga? Kung seryoso kasi ang basehan ng administrasyon ni GMA na kasuhan siya, bakit dalawang ulit siyang inalok ni dating Justice Secretary Nani Perez na tumakas gamit ang back-door exit? Ang sagot ni Erap, “Walang iwanan, walang urungan!” Nilitis siya ng isang ‘special court’ at matapos madeklarang guilty ay agad din na binigyan ng absolute pardon. Kaloka, diba? Sabagay, inaasahan na ‘yang guilty verdict, dahil alam naman ng lahat na ang special court ay binuo para siguruhin na ma-convict si Erap. Pero guilty sa anong kaso, sa jueteng? Hindi naman ‘yan pera ng bayan. Jose Velarde account? Hindi naman kanya ‘yun, at na-withdraw pa nga ng may-ari ng account ang pera niya. ‘Yung pera na sinasabing nakaw at nilagay daw sa Erap Muslim Youth Foundation, ayun ay buong buo pa rin sa bangko.

Ate, Kuya, kung totoo ang mga bintang kay Erap, eh bakit mismong si Tita Cory ay humingi ng tawad sa kanya? Sabi pa ni Tita Cory nagkamali siya sa pagsuporta sa EDSA Dos. May iba pa diyan – sina Bishop Tobias, dating SEC Chairman Jun Yasay – na humingi na rin ng tawad kay Erap. Ano pa ba ang ibig sabihin niyan kung hindi malaking pagkakamali ang EDSA Dos?

Eh #3 lang siya sa survey...manalo pa kaya ‘yan?
 
Nakita mo ba ang dagsa at dami ng taong sumasalubong kay Erap sa kanyang Lakbay Pasasalamat at ngayon naman sa kanyang kampanya? Pag nakita mo, ‘di ka na maniniwala sa mga survey. Isipin mo: ilan ba ang botante ni Erap, at ilan naman ang nagtatanong at sumasagot sa survey?

Ate, Kuya, iba ang survey sa halalan. Ang survey ay damdamin lamang ng iilan, ang halalan ay damdamin ng milyun-milyong botante.

Eh ‘diba may edad na ‘yan...kaya pa ba niya?
Si Ronald Reagan, isa sa pinaka-magaling na naging pangulo ng U.S., ay 74 na nang mahalal, at na re-elect pa nga matapos ang apat na taon. Akala ng mga cardinal noon 1962, wala ng mgagawa pa ang nahalal na Santo Papa, si Pop John XXIII, pero siya ang nagsimula ng makasaysayang Vatican II. At si Pope Benedict XVI ngayon ay 83 na!

Ate, Kuya, gusto mong hamunin ng jogging si Erap? ‘Di ka uurungan nun – he can still “run,” and he can still run this country! 

Eh ‘diba dapat pagbigyan naman ang iba?
 
Sinong iba? Eh ‘di pa nga nahahalal eh isang damukal na ang kaso – may mga tungkol sa kalye, hacienda, atbp! Si Erap galing na sa Malacanang. Alam na alam na niya ang problema ng bayan. Sa loob ng anim na taon niya sa kulungan, tiyak na napag-aralan na niya ang dapat gawin. Sa tindi ng lagay ng ating bansa ngayon, mahirap itong ipagkatiwala sa mga walang alam at karanasan.

Alam mo, may 3 ½ taon pa dapat sa puwesto si Erap kung ‘di lang inudlot ng EDSA Dos. Hindi siya bumabalik...ipagpapatuloy at tatapusin niya ang kanyang naumpisahan na!

Eh kapag naging presidente siya, gagantihan niya lahat ng mga kumalaban sa kanya?
 
Wala sa bokabulrayo ni Erap ang paghihiganti. Sa pelikula lang ‘yun. Ang titindi ng ginawa kay Erap: pinagkaisahan, binastos, pinahiya, pinatalsik, kinutya, kinulong. Sa kabila ng lahat ng ito, nakita mo naman at pinatawad niya lahat ng mga naging pasimuno ng mga ito. ‘Yan ang kailangan nating pangulo, marunong magpatawag upang ang lahat ng sugat ng bayan ay maghilom na sa 
wakas.

Eh baka ma-disqualify lang siya?
 
Qualified nga, ayon sa Comelec. Kung may umapela man sa Korte Suprema, tiyak na kakatigan ng korte ang desisyon ng Comelec at ang sinabi nitong sa bandang huli, ang taong bayan pa rin ang magde-desisyon kung sino ang gusto nilang pinuno.

Ate, Kuya, dapat isa-isip ang kasabihang ito: Vox populi, Vox Dei (Ang tinig ng taong bayan ay ang tinig ng Diyos).

Eh ano ba ang nagawa na niyan para ihalal siyang muli?
 
Ay, ang dami! Nang umalis siya sa puwesto, nag-iwan siya ng P120-bilyon sa kabang bayan. Hataw ang mga programa niya sa agrikultura. Pinulbos niya ang mga rebelde sa Mindanao. Hindi pinalagpas ang mga NPA. Pinuksa ang kriminalidad. Dinurog ang mga sindikato. Sinipa ang mga tiwali sa gobyerno. Pinagbawal ang mga ‘government’ at ‘sovereign’ guarantee sa mga proyekto ng gobyerno na nagiging ugat ng korapsiyon.

Ate, Kuya, nagkaisa ang mga elitistang naghaharing-uri na alisin sa puwesto si Erap noong 2001 dahil hindi siya pumayag sa kanilang kagustuhang itaas ang presyo ng mga pangunahing pangangailangan ng mga mahihirap. Alam mo ba ‘yun?

 si Erap nga talaga ang dapat!
Kung may Erap, may ginhawa!

Erap to give Gibo, Noynoy run for their money in Tarlac

Gerry Baldo
04/07/2010

It would be a close fight among The Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) standard bearer former President Joseph Estrada, Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential candidate former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and Liberal Party (LP) bet Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino in the province of Tarlac, the home turf of both Estrada rivals, a local leader said yesterday. 

Mayor Benito Aquino said that while Aquino and Teodoro who both hail from Tarlac are expected to get huge votes in the province, Estrada is expected to figure in the race at a close third.

“Estrada will get many votes,” Aquino said of the possible votes for Estrada here. “Erap will likely be third, Noynoy will be second and Villar a far fourth, with Teodoro expecting to win the votes here,” Aquino said on the sidelines of a short rally of Estrada’s ticket at a town plaza in Moncada, Tarlac where over a thousand attended yesterday. Aquino is not related to SenatorAquino.

Aquino said that the presidential fight in Tarlac would revolve around Aquino, Teodoro and Estrada.

He said that all candidates are “welcome “ in his town and that the people would be free to chose whom they want to vote.

When asked how close would be the fight among the three in the province, Aquino said: “Too close, although Gibo (Teodoro) will have a slight lead because this is his district.” 

Aquino said Teodoro delivered many projects for the district when he was in Congress.

PMP campaign manager Ambassador Ernesto Maceda said the main link of the PMP with Tarlac is the organization called “Agilang Pilipino” but for President Estrada the main source of votes would be the poor people of Tarlac.

“Noynoy and Gibo are not expected to corner the votes in Tarlac,” Maceda said.

“To say the least maybe they’ll get 35 percent each and we get 25 to 30 percent...that’s good enough, we’ll fight in every province for every vote,” Maceda said before the start of the noontime rally at a covered court here.

PMP re-electionist Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said that the PMP talked to the local leaders to allow the people to chose who among the presidential candidates they would want to vote even as he expressed confidence that the votes for his father would not be “crumbs” from the two Tarlac residents.

“We asked local mayors to let the people make their choice on who to vote and most of them have already acceded to our request,” Jinggoy said.

He said that the PMP is going to put up a good fight here.

“We’ll put up a good fight,” he said.

We don’t mind being number two here. We won’t be picking up crumbs, Estrada and his ticket are strong in Tarlac,” Jinggoy said.

Persuading the youth

DIE HARD III

Herman Tiu Laurel

03/19/2010
I was taken aback when one of my 19-year-old twins asked, “Pa, why aren’t you for Gibo?” This question from my son Enzo, who is a first year De La Salle philosophy student, was asked as we drove home his fellow Northfield alumnus, Miggy, after I picked them up from a party. The question reflects his deep thought about the political question of the day and I felt honored that he considered my view in such an earnest way. The question also reflects a concern of Enzo and his peers that I surmise stems from a perceived positive regard of the youth for Gibo and a need to understand why not everyone is thinking the same way. I started by explaining that the young often assume many things to be absolutely correct but discover soon enough, as they grow older and wiser, that these aren’t so true after all.

Admittedly, Gibo is very articulate and if that were the only basis for leadership, I, too, would be for him. But governance, I explained, is more than just articulation. It is about love for the people and standing by a firm conviction. I then asked: Who among the other nine presidential candidates have ever shown “conviction,” a strong belief in his own cause to risk and actually suffer detention for it?

Erap had always stood by his belief — and conviction — that the people’s welfare is a president’s chief responsibility — the reason he opposed hasty increases in power and water rates that made the oligarchs conspire with the Gloria Arroyo forces to remove him from power and later concoct crimes against him. Estrada believed in his own innocence that he refused exile and chose to stand detention and trial, up to the very end, when they had to pardon him after his kangaroo court conviction.

Further, Erap firmly believes it is the duty of the president to defend the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic; hence, he never balked at wiping out rebellion in Mindanao and resisted foreign intervention.

I also injected Estrada’s concern for farm productivity, as seen in his “carabao breeding” program.

After we dropped Miggy off, that matter faded into oblivion until a week later when Enzo suddenly said: “Pa, you convinced Miggy to vote for Erap.”

Surprised, I asked him how I had convinced Miggy when we never got to talk directly about Erap. Enzo explained that his friend was listening from the backseat the whole time and as he listened to my explanation, he eventually got convinced to vote for Erap.

Given the youth’s mindset, it is no accident that certain candidates are triggering the “herd mentality” among the youth by creating trendy ads and fads that particularly target them.

Chiz Escudero, once the darling of the youth, started this early until his feet of clay collapsed from under him. ABS-CBN is targeting the youth not only for a candidate but for building its self-proclaimed patriotic and non-partisan media role — an empty boast belied by its history of political interventionism and Machiavellianism. The other oligarchs, on the other hand, have been constantly stalking the youth with their “I am Ninoy” type campaigns that feature various fashion pieces as a not-too-subtle push for their Yellow dummy. Then, as another subliminal appeal to the young, Villarroyo uses children’s voices in almost all his ads, too.

As tyrants over the centuries have known, the youth are easily manipulable as a mass of body and mind. From the so-called Hitler Youth to Mao’s Red Guards, to the Catholic Church’s Days with the Lord and Student Catholic Action, the youth have always been an indispensible adjunct. But as my narrative about Enzo and Miggy shows, the youth as individuals aren’t always dumb. We only have to treat them not as “the youth” per se but as individuals who have a clear mind and an innately sound moral foundation.

I imagine my narrative as a radio ad for President Estrada because I think it would really click and spread a chain reaction of Erap’s message, as it is happening among the masa. Let’s say with Eddie Garcia as the father and Angel Locsin and another young male celebrity, the youth will listen.

In the meantime, Estrada presses on with his fight against onerous power rates, as this space is doing, even as mainstream media continue to shut this voice out. At his March 19 jampacked press conference, “The Power Crisis in Mindanao,” at the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino headquarters on 409 Shaw, Estrada lashed out at the power crisis hoax created by the Arroyo regime and the oligarchs, and its danger to the elections.

Estrada proposed his practical approach of mobilizing for conservation and self-generation by big users and those with private generator-sets to protect the people from the crisis’ adverse effects, a vital news which only the Tribune carried in its front pages. That is how big and dangerous the power oligarchs’ lobby is, and it will take an Estrada leadership to face it head on — definitely, another issue that the youth can understand and resonate with.

(Tune in to 1098AM, Suló ng Pilipino, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Global News Network, Destiny Cable Channel 21, Talk News TV, Tuesday, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on “Halalang Marangal: PCOS Failures and Risks”; also visit http://hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com)

Erap twits Aquino: I didn’t seek GMA’s pardon

By Gerry Baldo
03/17/2010

BALAYAN, Batangas —Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) standard bearer former President Joseph Estrada, reacting to Liberal Party (LP) bet Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino’s comment that he is against Estrada having been pardoned by President Arroyo, yesterday twitted him, saying that he had nothing to do with the absolute pardon granted to him.

“He (Aquino) should be told that I did not ask, nor did I seek the pardon. She (Arroyo) could have had an attack of conscience as she may have realized that there was a miscarriage of justice (in granting that pardon). After all, there really was no proof that I stole a single centavo of government money,” Estrada said in an interview at the municipal hall here.

“I really don’t understand why he attacked me. I have not attacked him at all, but I will respond to what he said. I do not compare myself to his father (Sen. Ninoy Aquino),” but Estrada reminded the LP presidential bet that his father, Ninoy, was also convicted by a special court created by the Marcos government. “Let him (Noynoy) not forget that the special court had convicted his father for murder, subversion. Ninoy was convicted, too,” Estrada stressed.

Estrada explained that he could not understand why Aquino would make such a statement.

“I really don’t understand why he gave such a comment against me. He (Noynoy) has no business in that (matter of Arroyo granting me pardon). First of all, it is the prerogative of the President. It is in the law. Noynoy has no business in that (pardon). I am not defending my having been pardoned. But he should first become president if he is against pardons granted to convicts.

At the same time, Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile, PMP senatorial bet, advised Aquino to brush up on the constitutional duties of a Philippine president, hinting broadly that Aquino is far from being ready for the presidency given that, from his statements on being against pardons for convicted persons, he doesn’t seem to even know just what the oath of office of the president, or even the Constitution, entails.

“He (Aquino) has a lot to learn. Before issuing those statements, he should read the oath of office of a president,” Enrile told the Tribune in a brief telephone interview, stressing that in that oath can be found that, apart from a president supporting and defending the Constitution, executing the laws of the land and doing justice to every man, there must be compassion. The President is expected to be compassionate, which is why the Constitution empowers the President to grant reprieves, commutations of sentences and conditional and absolute pardons,” Enrile said.

Article Vll, Section 19 states: “Except in cases of impeachment, or as otherwise provided in the Constitution, the President may grant reprieves, commutations, and pardons, and remit fines and forfeitures, after conviction by final judgment. He shall also have the power to grant amnesty with the concurrence of a majority of all the members of the Congress.”

Estrada stressed that his “campaign is (being conducted) on the high level. I can say what is true: That we (PMP) are the only genuine opposition,” and accused the Liberal Party and the Nacionalista Party of being pseudo-opposition.

He said that the PMP is the only “true political opposition” in the country.

“We are the true opposition, because all of them were engaged in a conspiracy to oust me in Edsa ll. They were all involved in Edsa ll...and not only that. Even during the 2004 elections, they (LP and NP) did not do anything to check on the fraud during the national canvassing. It was all ‘noted, noted, noted’ and during the proclamation, at 3 or 4 a.m., they were also there to railroad the proclamation: Senator (Franklin) Drilon and former Speaker (Jose) De Venecia.”

He questioned their motive in not allowing for the opening of the ballot boxes when the members of the opposition were questioning its integrity during the canvassing of ballots in 2004. Estrada also accused the LP of being responsible for the continued stay in power of Mrs. Arroyo which resulted in so much poverty and corruption in government.

“It was they who were together and connived with the Arroyo administration in making life harder for the Filipinos and divided the people. That is what happened in Edsa ll. That is very clear,”he said.

“Change of power in the Philippines (during the Edsa ll coup d’etat) was no boost for democracy because it was done outside the Constitution,” he added, quoting the Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuwan Yu.

The PMP also yesterday took umbrage at the statement made by Noynoy Aquino and scored him for being a political oppportunist, with the LP candidate’s “politically opportunistic” statement, by saying he was against the absolute pardon granted by Arroyo to Estrada in October 2008.

The PMP said, in a statement: “We find it difficult to reconcile this statement with Senator Aquino’s decision to seek President Estrada’s blessing when he ran for the Senate in 2007.”

PMP spokesman Ralph Calinisan said, “If he (Aquino) is trying to distance himself from our standard bearer now that they are both seeking the presidency, then this is nothing more than political opportunism at its worst.”

Noynoy was one of seven Genuine Opposition (GO) bets who clinched a Senate seat with the active support of Estrada, who was then still under detention in Tanay, Rizal.

Political pundits later acknowledged that Estrada’s endorsement played a significant role in the final 7-3-2 count of the senatorial race that year, with the administration-backed Team Unity’s dismal showing also blamed on the hugely unpopular Arroyo.

But Calinisan clarified that Senator Aquino’s statement was no longer surprising given his penchant for changing his opinion for political expediency.

“We distinctly recall that Senator Aquino once confidently said he would not raise taxes once he is elected president,” Calinisan pointed out, “yet when his statement raised an outcry among businessmen and economists, he immediately retreated and changed his stand on this.

“This does not speak well of someone who says he wants to lead the country; there is no room for a wishy-washy chief executive especially at a time when our countrymen remain hostage to poverty, hunger and a lack of viable opportunities for growth,” Calinisan remarked.

The spokesman further said that there is a growing need to remind the electorate that not every candidate who claims to be from the ranks of the opposition is actually one.

“Only those who actually opposed the perverted policies of the current administration and openly denounced its misgovernance have the right to be called oppositionists,” Calinisan stressed, “while those who played a role -- even the smallest one -- in installing her to power have no business claiming to be members of the opposition.” 

In Naga City, Aquino, realizing his faux pas, tried backtracking on his statements aired in an interview that said he was against the grant of pardon to Estrada.

Aquino claimed his statement on this was taken out of context, admitting that he failed to elaborate the matter, especially the issue of Estrada being not given due process.

“It was not meant to come out like that. What I failed to point out was that, if he was really afforded justice -- was conviction the appropriate decision on the case of President Estrada?,” he said.

Aquino tried to clear up the matter, when asked by reporters during a press conference in Naga City where the LP is holding its campaign sorties, as his pronouncements appeared to have stirred unnecessary tension between him and Estrada.

“Honestly, I need to review what I said about that,”he said, referring to the question on his position of the grant of pardon to the deposed president, who was convicted of plunder several years ago. 

“I cannot recall the specifics (of the case). Based on my memory, there were several questions that hounded the case such as the promotion, if I am not mistaken, of the judge (that handled the case). It was a speedy promotion after his trial. The question was due to a very controversial decision (vis-a-vis) the promotion (of the judge),”he claimed in trying to get out of a sticky situation.

Aquino further noted that, in granting pardon, the sentence meted to the convicted person should be served first.

The senator said that the context of his statement was in reference to the assassination case of his father, where those accused were convicted yet the real mastermind remains unknown to this day.

The exact statement of Aquino, when sought his opinion on the matter of the pardon of Estrada, having close personal ties with Estrada, said:“I do not agree with that (Arroyo’s pardon of Estrada.) I do not agree either with the pardon granted to those convicted of killing my father (Ninoy Aquino ) and other pardons issued by the present administration (to other convicts), I do not agree with that,”he was quoted as saying during an interview in a morning television program