Erap willing to take Noli into opposition camp's open arms

MANILA, Philippines – Former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada on Tuesday expressed willingness to take Vice President Noli de Castro into the arms of the opposition. Estrada made the statement after he expressed doubts on whether the Vice President would be convinced by the newly formed Lakas-Kampi-CMD party to join the administration's lineup. He said De Castro is clearly keeping his options open. When asked if the opposition would welcome De Castro in the opposition, Estrada said, “Bakit hindi [Why not]?" “Napag-uusapan naman iyan ng oposisyon kung sakaling siya ang pinakamalakas, bakit hindi siya kukunin ng oposisyon… Okay naman si kabayan [That can be discussed. If ever he proves to be the strongest contender, I don’t see any reason why we should not invite him. He is okay]," Estrada said. He said that it is still not clear if De Castro will be running under Lakas-Kampi-CMD and the Vice President is silent about it. It seems he is thinking twice about joining the administration slate, he added. The former president said he was not at all bothered by the Lakas-Kampi-CMD merger saying he expects the new party to lose steam as the elections draw near. “Kapag eleksyon na, iyong lakas niyang [Lakas-Kampi-CMD], lalakas ang hina niyan [Come election time, the weakness of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD merger will grow stronger]," Estrada said in jest. Survey On Monday, a Pulse Asia survey showed Estrada in close third among the top prefered presidential bets for the upcoming 2010, only behind De Castro and opposition Sen. Francis “Chiz" Escudero. Estrada got a 15-percent preference rating, while De Castro and Escudero respectively got 18 and 17 percent. (See: VP Noli tops anew in Pulse Asia's preference survey) Estrada said he did not mind if he was unable to top the Pulse Asia poll, saying, “Hindi pa naman tayo nagdedeklara [I haven’t declared I would be running anyway]." The former president – who was ousted through a popular mass uprising in 2001 – earlier said he might be forced to jump in the presidential race if the opposition party would not make up its mind on one standard bearer. “Gusto ko mag-unite ang oposisyon at dapat matuto ang oposisyon sa nakaraang 2004 elections na kapag isa lang ang kandidato siguradong hindi madadaya," Estrada said. Estrada expressed that more and more opposition are expressing intentions to run in the 2010 presidential elections as the trend would make the political bloc’s victory slim. “Dati anim lang [ang naglalaban-laban], ngayon pito o walo pa ata. Andiyan na rin si Among Ed [Panlilio], Bro. Mike [Velarde] at Bro. Eddie [Villanueva] ata," Estrada said. In the Pulse Asia survey, Villanueva, Velarde, and Panlilio each received a preference rating of 0.4 percent, 0.3 percent, and 0.2 percent, respectively. Reelection Estrada said should he be forced to run for president anew and win, he would continue the unfinished projects he started out during his administration from 1998 to 2001. “Gusto kong ituloy ang mga programa kung hindi napagpatuloy tulad ng food security at peace and order sapagkat naniniwala ako na kahit anong galing ng mga ekonomista natin eh nasan ang bansa natin," Estrada said. Estrada’s camp had said there was no legal impediment in Estrada’s re-election because the Constitution’s prohibition only applies to an incumbent president. But constitutional experts including those who drafted the 1987 Philippine Constitution thought otherwise and said Estrada is covered by the prohibition. Critics such Fr. Joaquin Bernas, SJ, and former poll chief Christian Monsod have both cited Article VII of the 1987 Constitution stating that “The President shall not be eligible for any reelection. No person who has succeeded as President and has served as much as for more than four years shall be qualified for election to the same office at any time." - Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV