Erap: No way GMA can be speaker

CEBU, Philippines - Deposed president Joseph “Erap” Estrada said that there is no way President Gloria Arroyo will be the next House Speaker if he is reelected.

“No Way!” was the response of Estrada in an interview with The FREEMAN the other night when asked if Arroyo has a chance of becoming a House Speaker under his administration.

Estrada said that Arroyo demeaned the presidency by running as congresswoman in her hometown in Pampanga.

“Presidente na siya tapos tatakbo pa siyang congresswoman. Ano ba naman yan?,” said Estrada, who was in Cebu the other day for campaign sorties in the towns of Compostela, Liloan, Consolacion and in Lapu-Lapu City, where he had a grand proclamation rally together with over 30,000 supporters.

Estrada said that Arroyo is the heaviest baggage of the administration’s presidential bet Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro.

Estrada said that among all the other presidential candidates, Teodoro is the most competent, most qualified and sincere in running this country.

“Of course, si Erap ay competent, qualified at sinsiro din. Experience lang ang lamang ko kay Gibo. Bilib ako kay Gibo. He is a good leader,” Estrada said.

But unlike his son, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, who in his visit to Cebu two weeks ago had said that if not Erap, then the Cebuanos should go for Gibo, the former chief executive said that he is still urging the Cebuanos to vote for him.

“Pero sana si Erap pa rin ang iboto ng mga Cebuanos,” said Estrada, who was overwhelmed by the huge crowd that greeted him in the towns where he had his campaign sorties.

Estrada added LP standard bearer Noynoy Aquino, whom he included in the Genuine Opposition ticket during the 2007 national elections, has no track record or achievements to speak of other than being the son of Ninoy and Cory.

Estrada recalled that Noynoy was among those who opposed to granting a pardon to him, when he was put behind bars for six years and six months for the case of plunder.

As for Manny Villar, Estrada said that it’s quite unbelievable for a billionaire like the latter to suddenly become a pro-poor candidate.

The former president, who was ousted from the presidency in 2001 and replaced by Arroyo, said that Villar might be a secret candidate of the latter.

“Malaki ang posibilidad na totoo ang Villaroyo because you never heard Villar attacking the Arroyo administration. Kung hindi siya palaaway na tao, bakit niya inaaway si Noynoy?” Estrada asked.

As for the challenge of Villar that all presidential and vice presidential candidates must undergo thorough physical and psychological tests, Estrada said that he should be exempted because he has been president before.

During the grand rally in Lapu-Lapu City where he delivered a 30-minute speech, Estrada said that if elected again as president he will help the housing programs of mayoralty bet Isabelo Darnayal and construct a swimming pool just like what he did in Erap City in Montalban, Rizal.

“It’s one way of giving dignity to the poor,” he said to the cheering crowd.  (FREEMAN NEWS)