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.