Erap surprised by Edu's decision to run in 2010 as admin VP bet

Former President Joseph Estrada was surprised by television host Edu Manzano’s decision to become the administration party’s vice-presidential bet in the 2010 elections, his spokesperson said Friday. In a text message to GMANews.TV, Margaux Salcedo said the former president was shocked when he heard that his fellow actor had accepted Lakas-Kampi-CMD’s invitation to become the running mate of the party’s standard-bearer, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. “We were taken by surprised as well by the decision of Edu Manzano to run with the administration party," she said. Salcedo said that Estrada’s camp thought Manzano, who was supposed to be included in the Liberal Party’s (LP) senatorial slate, was with the opposition. “We thought that he shared the opposition’s desire for a real democracy, not the kind of regime we experienced the last nine years," she said. The administration party, through its vice chairman Ronaldo Puno, on Friday officially announced Manzano’s decision to become the Defense chief’s running mate in the coming elections. [See: Edu Manzano chosen as Gibo's VP in 2010 polls] With his entry to the vice-presidential race, Manzano is set to face Makati Mayor Jejomar Binoy and LP’s Sen. Manuel “Mar" Roxas II for the country’s second highest post in 2010. – Andreo C. Calonzo, GMANews.TV