Erap, FVR trade barbs over age

Age became an issue as former presidents Fidel V. Ramos and Joseph Estrada once more showed that there is no love lost between them. In her report on “24 Oras" aired Wednesday, GMA News’ Sandra Aquinaldo said Ramos had advised Estrada to give way to younger presidential aspirants. "Bakit hindi natin pagbigyan yung bata-bata? (Why don’t we give way to the younger aspirants?) This country needs younger leaders," Ramos said on Estrada’s intention to seek re-election in next year’s elections. Estrada, in a press briefing in Iloilo province on Tuesday, said he is 99.99 percent sure of running for president since the opposition could not seem to make up its mind on who to pick as standard-bearer in the 2010 polls.

Estrada twitted Ramos’ criticisms, saying he was taught by his parents to pay respect to the elders. He however denied reports that he once called Ramos “amoy lupa (decrepit)." “It's not in my person or character to say that. We were taught by our parents to always respect our elders," he said. Ramos, 81, is nine years older than Estrada, 72. To prove that he’s healthier than Estrada despite being older, Ramos dared him to jog from Malacañang to Tanay town in Rizal province. Ramos said he picked Tanay as the finish line because it is there where Estrada’s detention center is located. He was referring to Estrada’s rest house where the actor-turned-politician was detained while the plunder charges against him were still pending. Estrada was vice president during the Ramos administration. Upon his assumption to Malacañang in 1998, he ordered an investigation on several anomalies allegedly involving Ramos. Ramos, meanwhile, was instrumental in Estrada’s downfall from presidency in 2001 amid corruption allegations. - GMANews.TV