On good terms? After handshake, Gordon vows to campaign vs Erap

The long-standing rift between Sen. Richard Gordon and former President Joseph Estrada seemed to have finally dissipated last week through a simple gesture – a handshake at a forum in Makati City.

Political observers concluded that was the end of it. Or so they thought. Despite offering the conspicuous handshake, Gordon could not seem to keep himself from issuing tirades against the former president. “You botched it [your presidency]. Binigyan ka ng pinakamalaking regalo ng tao. Anong ginawa mo? Wala kang ginawa. Nagwala ka doon sa Malacanang," Gordon said about Estrada during an interview Thursday for GMANews.TV’s “Examine" web show. After Estrada's fall from power in 2001, he was convicted of plunder but was later pardoned by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Last Wednesday, he announced that he will run again for the same post despite what many see as an insurmountable Constitutional ban on former presidents running again. Gordon said that he would not allow Estrada to get away with it. “I will campaign against him," vowed Gordon. In response, Estrada’s spokesperson Margaux Salcedo said: “The accusations of Sen. Gordon are probably personal attacks because of his experience during the Estrada administration." The decade-long rift between the two politicians dates back to 1998, when Estrada was still president and Gordon was chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), considered one of the premiere economic centers in the Philippines. When Estrada assumed the highest post in the land, the very first administrative order he signed led to the removal of Gordon as SBMA chairman. The fissure in their relationship would drag on for years, and would span two national elections. Less than a year before the 2010 presidential elections, the feud between Gordon and Estrada does not seem to have abated. During GMA 7's "Eleksyon 2010: Tatakbo Ka Ba?" fun run – an event that brought together 2010 hopefuls to pledge to conduct themselves honorably in the elections – Estrada extended his hand to every single aspirant present, except Gordon. [See: Fit to govern?] Still, Gordon professes to harbor no ill feelings towards Estrada. “Wala akong sama ng loob (I don’t hold any grudge). We have shaken hands in the past. I have already forgotten that (incident in Subic)," the senator earlier told GMANews.TV. "Stupid" electorate While Estrada has already announced his plan to embark on a second attempt to seek the presidency, Gordon still considers himself a “presumptive candidate." This early, however, his remarks will probably not endear him to the electorate, which he criticizes for allegedly not taking a more informed stand on their leaders and issues. "You don’t want to scrutinize. You don’t want to analyze," he scolded voters during the taped interview, which will soon be uploaded on this site. "You don’t want to hear the things that I am saying because we want to be comfortable. We want to be amused. Wow-wow-wee…" “I’m here to condemn the electorate right now. Why? The electorate complains. They know what they do not want but they do not know what they want. We fix the blame but we do not want to fix the problem. Sorry, you do not have to vote for me. It’s okay. Magalit kayo," Gordon said. He said people should not always point their fingers at individuals in office and instead start fulfilling their obligations as citizens. “We always demand things… You cannot put the blame on leadership all the time. Leadership will always tell you to get ahead… but if you don’t do that, you’ll fail," he said. “We already have a Bill of Rights. Now I’m pushing that we also have a Bill of Duties and Obligations," Gordon said. He said if ever he decides to join the presidential race and win, one of his priorities would be to cure the electorate of its “stupidity" and indifference. “Maybe our leaders have been stupid and we were stupid... Ang problema natin we just don’t care. Kung ano ang instant gratification iyon ang gusto natin… Nabobola tayo," he said. Gordon said he was not worried about voters who find him “too frank" and refuse to vote for him, saying he only wants Filipinos to replicate what he did in Subic and Olongapo, where he served as mayor. “Sa Subic, bawal ang tamad at bawal din ang tanga (In Subic, laziness and stupidity are forbidden)," Gordon said. - GMANews.TV Watch out for the full interview of Sen. Dick Gordon on Examine, coming soon at Your Vox.