Erap ‘saddened’ by INC decision to endorse Noynoy

Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino standard-bearer former President Joseph Estrada said on Wednesday that he was “saddened" by the Iglesia ni Cristo’s decision to endorse the candidacy of Liberal Party presidential bet Senator Benigno Aquino III. Estrada, who received INC’s endorsement when he ran for president in the 1998 national elections, said that not getting the religious group’s backing in the upcoming polls will be “a big loss" for his candidacy. He added that he was “saddened" by the decision because he has very close friends in the INC.
The former president however said that he respects the INC’s choice, and vowed to work harder during the last days of the campaign. "I want to make it clear that I continue to recognize my indebtedness to them for having supported me throughout my political career," he said. The INC is the oldest home-grown Philippine Christian religious organization that operates independently of the Roman Catholic Church and the mainstream Protestant churches. In past elections, it has achieved a reputation for exercising its capacity to vote as a bloc, with an estimated two million votes, which made it a target for politicians to woo every election year. The INC endorsed on Wednesday the candidacy of Aquino and his running mate, Senator Manuel Roxas II. (See: Iglesia Ni Cristo endorses Noynoy Aquino, Mar Roxas)—JV, GMANews.TV