1 M signatures to urge Erap to run in 2010 launched

MANILA, Philippines – Supporters of ousted President Joseph Estrada will present him with one million signatures on his birthday on April 19 to convince him to run for president in 2010.

Actor Rez Cortez, an initiator of ERAP 2010 for president movement, told The STAR they are set to distribute pamphlets containing the opinions of three retired justices of the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court that there is no legal impediment for Estrada to run in the 2010 elections.

“The target is by April 19, which incidentally is the 71st birthday of President Estrada, the group will be able to present an initial one million signatures supporting his presidential bid in 2010,” he said.

Former Senate president Ernesto Maceda, a member of the committee on elders of the United Opposition (UNO), earlier said that the three justices, whom he did not name, believe that the ban on re-election applies only to the incumbent president as the framers of the Constitution used the words “The President.”

“So, when you said ‘The President,’ it means that no incumbent or sitting president can seek re-election,” he said.

“The justices pointed out that if the framers of the Constitution really wanted to disqualify all former presidents from running, then they should have said, ‘Any person who has served as president can no longer run for re-election or can no longer run for another term.’”

Maceda said a study conducted by the three justices, whom the opposition commissioned, showed that Estrada, along with former Presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos, can still run in the presidential elections in 2010.

“We have commissioned two retired justices and review from another retired SC justice on the ban for re-election of the president,” he said.

“Precisely, they have a very clear and concise opinion that any former president – Erap, Cory for that matter, President Ramos can still run.

“The principal explanation is that the ban against running for reelection is exactly in the same paragraph, which says that the President shall have a term of six years, and that it continues that the President shall not be eligible for re-election.

“Let the people decide the issue of whether former President Estrada should be president again of the Philippines. Vox Populi est suprema lex. And our Constitution expressly states that sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them.”

Maceda said the three retired justices cited Article II Section 1 of the Constitution in coming out with their opinions supporting the legality Estrada’s candidacy in the 2010 presidential elections.