Palace won’t question Estrada’s eligibility

10/23/2009

President Arroyo, through her official spokesman, deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez, said the government has no plans of questioning the eligibility of former President Joseph Estrada in seeking the highest office of the land anew.

Golez added, however, that a lot of people are bound to raise the issue before the Supreme Court.

For his part, Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the final decision on the matter of whether Estrada is eligible for the presidency

the second time around, will be made by the electorate.

He also claimed that Malacañang welcomes the candidacy of the former president, adding it will give the voters a chance to make their choice among several presidential candidates in the 2010 elections.

Asked what effect Estrada’s candidacy will have on the administration bet’s chances, Bello replied, “We rely on the strength of our candidate and not on the weakness of the opponent.”

Golez said he hoped candidates will be running for the right reason which is to lead this country to progress.

When asked if Arroyo regrets having pardoned the convicted president, Golez answered in the negative. He said the pardon was issued in the spirit of reconciliation and to heal the wounds of Edsa ll. At the same time, Malacañang also made it clear that Arroyo will not revoke the pardon granted to Estrada.

Estrada and Binay formally declared their candidacy under the opposition coalition Party-Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino-United Opposition (PMP-UNO).

A former official of the Estrada administration, who appears to be out of the circle of the Estrada camp, yesterday said the presidential bid of former president would be either be rejected by the legal question from the Supreme Court (SC) or by the people during the elections.

Nueva Ecija Rep. Edno Joson, Estrada’s former administrator at the National Food Authority (NFA), even went to the extent of saying that the verdict against Estrada’s “final performance” could be harsher.

“He will be disqualified by the Supreme Court, if not by our people themselves and it will be a harsher judgment and repudiation,” said Joson, in an interview.

In a text message, Speaker Prospero Norales, vice chairman of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, said Estrada is facing a serious risk of being disqualified.“Erap running, I still think it’s very risky because of legal disqualification,” said Nograles.

For his part, Palawan Rep. Antonio Alvarez, spokesman of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, said the public should just let the SC decide on the constitutionality of Estrada’s second bid for the presidency.

“Let us leave the decision to the Supreme Court on that. It is difficult to speculate,” said Alvarez in a separate text message.

But disqualified or not, the opposition faces a dilemma with Estrada formalizing his bid for the 2010 presidential elections.

At Plaza Amado Hernandez, Estrada admitted that his entry to the presidential race would divide the votes of the opposition but stressed that this would not make the administration’s standard-bearer a winner.

But even if the majority of the people are split among opposition presidential bets, Estrada assured the public that Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro is no match even when pitted against any other candidate from their ranks.

“The votes will surely be divided among four opposition candidates. What is clear is that the opposition is loved by the Filipino people,” said Estrada.

Other opposition presidential candidates include Senators Manuel Villar of Nacionalista Party (NP), Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino of the Liberal Party (LP) and probably Francis Escudero of Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).

But Nograles refuted Estrada’s claim, saying his declaration would help the chances of administration’s presidential candidate.

“As far as the administration is concerned, that division in the opposition is good for Lakas-Kampi-CMD party,” said Nograles.

Nograles recalled the victory of President Arroyo in 2004 after opposition votes were shared by the late Fernando Poe Jr. and Sen. Panfilo Lacson.

Meanwhile, administration lawmakers shrugged off as nothing but a publicity stunt allegations of certain presidentiables that President Arroyo is to blame for the country’s woes.

Camiguin Rep. Pedro Romualdo said Arroyo is the expected “punching bag” of these people who think lambasting her is the easiest way to prop up their chances of winning the elections.

“Who else will be the subject of their political grandstanding but President Arroyo? I won’t be surprised if they threw at the President not only the kitchen and the sink but the entire house as well,” said Romualdo.

Bulacan Rep. Lorna Silverio said the presidential aspirants should run based on their merits and political platforms.

They should also do away with mudslinging and political grandstanding, added Silverio, chairman of the House Committee on Interparliamentary Relations and Diplomacy.

“President Arroyo is not their competition so why make her the dart board? It’s unfair for the President who had to contend with malicious accusations all these years,” Silverio said. Charlie V. Manalo and PNA

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