CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga- Former Pres. Joseph Estrada seems to be giving strong signals he will indeed run for president in next year’s elections.
“I will return and finish the presidency,” Estrada quoted himself as vowing to his late mother Dona Mary Ejercito immediately after he was set free from detention in his Tanay rest house in 2007.
Estrada recalled this during his speech the other day before some 800 members of the Philippine League of Secretaries to the Sanggunian, Inc. which held its 9th annual national convention here.
He was accompanied by former senator Ernesto Maceda who virtually endorsed him for the presidency by saying he was the most qualified of the 18 known presidential aspirants, including independents.
While Estrada, during an interview after his speech, said he would announce by September his decision on whether to run for president, he said he has not lost hope that opposition presidentiables would still be able to unite and back only one among them as presidential standard bearer.
A member of Estrada’s party, a former police chief superintendent who asked not to be named, confirmed to Punto! that Estrada would indeed run for president but that Estrada would not announce this publicly until November.
Maceda noted that the former president has over 30 years of executive and legislative experience and would therefore be “most mature” as he would be 73 years old next year.
“Like (US) President Ronald Reagan who was elected at 73 and served for two terms and considered one of the best US presidents, Nelson Mandela who was elected the first president of South Africa at age 84 and received a Nobel Peace Prize, Charles de Gaulle who served as president of France until he was 79 and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, he (Estrada) brings the wisdom of the ages to the job (as president),” Maceda said in his introduction.
He also said that Estrada has “retained the trust of his countrymen as proven in surveys, something that is necessary to get people’s confidence in and cooperation with his administration.”
Maceda also said that six and a half years of Estrada’s house arrest enabled the president to “do a lot of meditation, prayers, and Bible study”.
“He has undergone the necessary purification and conversion which has given him a fresh outlook in life and makes him better prepared to hold the reins of government,” Maceda said.
Maceda said Estrada’s candidacy would be the only hope for one standard bearer for the opposition.
Estrada noted that since he was released from detention, he has already traveled to some 70 provinces nationwide as part of his “Lakbay Pasasalamat” project in return for the continuing support of the people despite his ouster from power.
He insisted that his ouster from the presidency in 2001 was illegal. Citing alleged anomalies in the Arroyo administration, he also said he was never found guilty of using government funds to promote his personal interest during his presidential term nor had any anomalous contract been dug up during his term.
In an interview, Estrada also advised Pres. Arroyo to resign from her post should she decide to run for congresswoman in Pampanga’s second district.
“Out of delicadeza, she should resign so she will not have undue advantage (over her political challenger),” he said, even as he hit the President’s frequent foreign trips amid poverty and unemployment in the country.
“I will return and finish the presidency,” Estrada quoted himself as vowing to his late mother Dona Mary Ejercito immediately after he was set free from detention in his Tanay rest house in 2007.
Estrada recalled this during his speech the other day before some 800 members of the Philippine League of Secretaries to the Sanggunian, Inc. which held its 9th annual national convention here.
He was accompanied by former senator Ernesto Maceda who virtually endorsed him for the presidency by saying he was the most qualified of the 18 known presidential aspirants, including independents.
While Estrada, during an interview after his speech, said he would announce by September his decision on whether to run for president, he said he has not lost hope that opposition presidentiables would still be able to unite and back only one among them as presidential standard bearer.
A member of Estrada’s party, a former police chief superintendent who asked not to be named, confirmed to Punto! that Estrada would indeed run for president but that Estrada would not announce this publicly until November.
Maceda noted that the former president has over 30 years of executive and legislative experience and would therefore be “most mature” as he would be 73 years old next year.
“Like (US) President Ronald Reagan who was elected at 73 and served for two terms and considered one of the best US presidents, Nelson Mandela who was elected the first president of South Africa at age 84 and received a Nobel Peace Prize, Charles de Gaulle who served as president of France until he was 79 and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, he (Estrada) brings the wisdom of the ages to the job (as president),” Maceda said in his introduction.
He also said that Estrada has “retained the trust of his countrymen as proven in surveys, something that is necessary to get people’s confidence in and cooperation with his administration.”
Maceda also said that six and a half years of Estrada’s house arrest enabled the president to “do a lot of meditation, prayers, and Bible study”.
“He has undergone the necessary purification and conversion which has given him a fresh outlook in life and makes him better prepared to hold the reins of government,” Maceda said.
Maceda said Estrada’s candidacy would be the only hope for one standard bearer for the opposition.
Estrada noted that since he was released from detention, he has already traveled to some 70 provinces nationwide as part of his “Lakbay Pasasalamat” project in return for the continuing support of the people despite his ouster from power.
He insisted that his ouster from the presidency in 2001 was illegal. Citing alleged anomalies in the Arroyo administration, he also said he was never found guilty of using government funds to promote his personal interest during his presidential term nor had any anomalous contract been dug up during his term.
In an interview, Estrada also advised Pres. Arroyo to resign from her post should she decide to run for congresswoman in Pampanga’s second district.
“Out of delicadeza, she should resign so she will not have undue advantage (over her political challenger),” he said, even as he hit the President’s frequent foreign trips amid poverty and unemployment in the country.
