Erap candidacy in 2010 getting more likely, Maceda claims

MANILA, Philippines - As the political opposition continues to show disunity on its standard bearer in the coming 2010 presidential elections, the chance of former President Joseph Estrada running for the presidency seems inevitable, the new spokesperson for the United Opposition said Monday. In a radio interview, former Senate President Ernesto Maceda noted that since Senators Manuel Villar Jr. and Manuel Roxas II are “95 percent" bent on running for president next year, the opposition's hopes of having a single candidate would seem far-fetched. "Let’s put it this way. It looks like 95% sure if not more na di mo mapipigilan si Manny Villar at Mar Roxas na tumakbo, in which case di mangyayari ang pagkakaisa. In which case, mangyayari ang condition ni Erap na siya [ay] tatakbo," Maceda told dwIZ radio in an interview. [Let’s put it this way. It looks like 95 percent sure or more that Villar and Roxas will run as opposition presidential bets. In which case, this will fulfill Estrada’s condition he will run if the opposition cannot unite behind a single bet.] Estrada had said he would run as opposition presidential bet if opposition figures cannot unite behind a single standard bearer in next year’s presidential polls. Apart from Villar and Roxas, other personalities identified with the political opposition reportedly seeking the presidency are Senators Francis Escudero and Loren Legarda. Earlier this month, Senator Panfilo Lacson announced he was no longer seeking the presidency in the 2010 polls. Maceda said Estrada is the opposition’s only chance against Vice President Manuel “Noli" de Castro Jr. if the latter runs as administration standard bearer. He said only Estrada can give de Castro a good fight among the masses. Aircraft, vans On Sunday, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said Estrada is preparing to run in next year’s polls, as evidenced by the acquisition of two Aerospatiale helicopters, a King Air plane, and 20 vans. GMANews.TV tried to reach Estrada for confirmation but only his spokespersons were available for comment. Ferdie Ramos said all that he knew of was that new aircraft and vehicles are being readied for Estrada’s looming presidential campaign. However, Ramos said he has yet to know further details on the matter because the last time he talked to Estrada was on Friday last week. "I do not know how many (aircraft and vans) and I do not know who really bought them," Ramos said in a phone interview with GMANews.TV. For her part, Margaux Salcedo told GMANews.TV that she "does not know if he (Estrada) bought anything of that sort." But in the radio interview Monday, Maceda clarified that Estrada is not the buyer of the helicopters. He said businessmen supporting the deposed bought the choppers and will “lease" them to Estrada. "Hindi siya ang talagang bumili kundi dalawang kaibigan ang bumili at ile-lease nila sa kanya. Ang dalawang kaibigan na yan gagamitin ang chopper bilang negosyo. Pag di gamit ni Erap parerentahan nila sa kung sinong gustong gumamit," Maceda said. [Estrada is not the buyer but two trader-friends. They will lease the choppers to Estrada for his campaign, but they will rent out the choppers if Estrada is not using them.] Maceda noted that each of the choppers cost $1.6 million. However, he did not comment on the King Air 350 fixed-wing aircraft, which reportedly costs up to $6.6 million. Neither would Maceda identify the businessmen who bought the choppers, even as he said that in the last six months, traders have already offered to donate to Estrada’s looming campaign. As for the 20 vans Enrile mentioned, Maceda said “only" 10 audio-visual vans were acquired as the others were already around as early as 2004. The vans would go ahead of Estrada in his provincial sorties and play his videos and DVDs to supporters, he added. Being practical Meanwhile, Maceda said other preparations are already ongoing for Estrada’s presidential bid, saying preparations must be made as early as one year in advance. "He’s just being practical, using our, di naman pwede halimbawa magdesisyon ka November 30 doon lang kami hahanda. Pagtakbo, dapat 1 year before handa na ang pwersa, organization, kailangan gamitin, maghanda ng kailangan mong chopper," he said. [Estrada is just being practical. We cannot mobilize in 30 days. We have to mobilize one year in advance.] In Estrada’s case, he said the former Philippine leader had reorganized his Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino party, his wife former Sen. Luisa “Loi" Ejercito’s Mare group, former agrarian reform secretary Horacio Morales Jr.’s JEEP ni Erap, and Maceda’s Agilang Pilipino. Estrada had been insisting he could still seek the presidency in 2010 even as some framers of the 1987 Constitution believe that he cannot do so. - GMANews.TV