Erap: I am not conceding

Former President Joseph Estrada has yet to give up his fight for the presidency despite the wide lead between him and front runner Sen. Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III. In a statement read by his son, re-electionist Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, over at ANC News Network, Estrada said he would wait for the canvassing by Congress before coming out with a decision. “Lest my silence following the recent presidential elections be misconstrued for conceding the elections to the front runner, I wish to assure the public that while I plan no protest, I am not conceding," he said. “I wish to remind the people that under our Constitution, only the Congress, not the Commission on Elections or its chairman, Chairman Jose Melo, and certainly not the so-called poll watchdogs can proclaim the winner of the presidential elections," the former President added. A partial, unofficial tally of GMANews.TV as of 7:05 p.m. showed Aquino still on top with 13,036,271 votes followed by Estrada with 8,345,826. Four presidential aspirants—Sen. Manny Villar Jr., JC de los Reyes, Richard Gordon, and Gilberto Teodoro Jr.—had already conceded defeat to Aquino. Estrada said he would accept defeat only if the tally comes from Congress, which will convene as National Board of Canvassers on May 31. “Should the unofficial partial returns be borne out of the Congress official canvass, I shall certainly gladly bow out to the sovereign will of the people," he said. He also appealed to Melo to refrain from issuing “what appear to be final statements" based on partial returns from the polling precincts. Estrada, a veteran politician, was dethroned in 2001 over corruption charges. He was convicted of plunder in 2007 but was pardoned by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the same year. —KBK, GMANews.TV