It's Joey who's applying for 2010 Senate slate - Erap

MANILA, Philippines - Former President Joseph Estrada yesterday said that it is Joey de Venecia, son of Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia Jr., who is applying to be one of the opposition’s senatorial candidates in 2010.

Estrada was reacting to reports quoting Joey, the whistleblower in the alleged anomalous national broadband deal between the government and China’s ZTE Corp., that he is being wooed by Estrada to run under the ticket of the opposition in next year’s elections.

On the contrary, Estrada said it was Joey de Venecia who presented himself to them.

In a telephone interview with The STAR, Estrada said the young De Venecia is among the tentative senatorial candidates that the opposition is considering for the 2010 elections.

“We are not recruiting him, they (Joey) are the ones who are presenting themselves to us. He applied to us. But he is being considered among the tentative senatorial candidates because there are plenty of them who want to join the opposition senatorial ticket,” Estrada said.

Aside from Joey, Estrada named Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, his son Jinggoy Estrada, former senator Serge Osmeña, Representatives Roilo Golez, Teddy Casiño, lawyers Adel Tamano and Koko Pimentel, broadcast journalist Ted Failon and Grace Poe, daughter of the late movie actor Fernando Poe Jr., as among those included in the tentative list of the opposition’s senatorial lineup.

“We will finalize our senatorial slate by the last quarter of the year. So, that is too far yet,” Estrada said. –Jose Rodel Clapano