MANILA, Philippines - Losing Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) presidential candidate and former President Joseph Estrada finally conceded yesterday and congratulated the newly proclaimed president, Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.
In a statement read by his son Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada before the proclamation, the elder Estrada asked the Filipino people to rally behind Aquino and newly proclaimed vice president Jejomar Binay to enable the incoming administration to rebuild the country.
The former president said Aquino and Binay deserve to be proclaimed with a “clear, clean and untainted victory.”
“We cannot anymore afford to have leaders whose mandates are open to questions on their legitimacy,” he said, adding that the tell-tale signs of systematic electoral fraud and manipulation, which began to surface on election day itself, and the many questions that have remained unanswered, were serious issues that the new set of leaders must immediately address.
Estrada said it is incumbent upon the country’s new set of leaders to find out what went wrong, who are liable and answerable for throwing the people into a state of confusion and doubt over the integrity of the outcome of the elections on many fronts.
He said he has accepted his defeat in the May 10 presidential elections.
“I say this with total acceptance of my own fate and not to diminish the victory of the winners in the elections last May 10. This matter is not about Joseph ‘Erap’ Estrada. I am certain that our newly elected leaders share the same urgency and significance of these issues,” he said, adding that it is important for the people to rally behind the new administration.
Estrada said all the leaders of the country owe it to the Filipino voters who seriously took the task of learning how the automated electoral system works.
“They braved the searing heat, the long queues, and tried to find their way in the midst of a very confused setup just to be able to cast their votes. Every ballot cast must be counted and respected as an expression of the sovereign will,” he said.
Estrada also cited the role played by all the candidates, who either lost or won in the May 10 elections, in giving the new automated electoral system a chance, “hoping against hope that it will work.”
He said he believed that Aquino has the mandate of the electorate and added that the presidency is a matter of destiny.
CBCP: No compromise on faith and morals
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) also took time to congratulate the new President-elect, promising to cooperate and work with him, “but not necessarily compromising our beliefs and our convictions particularly in matters of faith and morals.”
CBCP president Tandag, Surigao del Sur Bishop Nereo Odchimar, in an interview over Church-run Radio Veritas, said he respects the decision of the people, majority of whom chose Aquino to be their next president.
He also urged the public to pray for Aquino’s success.
“We hope that they will be true and faithful to their election promises... most especially in fighting corruption in government, alleviating poverty of the majority of our people,” said former CBCP president Jaro, Iloilo Archbishop Angel Lagdameo.
“We hope that they will be able to assign in government honest people who are not simply looking for payback,” he added, referring to those who helped them in the elections.
Palace vows peaceful transition
Malacañang also extended its congratulations to Aquino and Binay and vowed to fully cooperate with them for a peaceful transition of power.
“On behalf of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, we warmly congratulate President-elect Benigno Aquino III and Vice President Jejomar Binay. We stand with President-elect Aquino and Vice President-elect Binay in building unity and prosperity for all Filipinos,” presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo said after the proclamation.
“President Arroyo calls on all Filipinos to rally behind our new leaders as they assume the awesome responsibilities of their offices,” he said.
Saludo said their election to the highest office of the land “demonstrates that our democracy is vibrant, and our new electoral system is working for our people.”
Mrs. Arroyo is currently in China attending the Shanghai World Expo and is expected to return to Manila this morning.
Saludo said he was not yet aware whether the outgoing President would be calling Aquino from Shanghai to congratulate him or wait till she arrives in the country.
“President Arroyo and her government will do what we can to make the transition to a new administration smooth and orderly,” he said.
He said Mrs. Arroyo looks forward to working with Aquino and Binay “to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of services to our people.”
Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza, on the other hand, said the Palace was happy with the fact that the proclamation happened ahead of the target date of June 15.
“Our first automated elections, made successful by a non-partisan police and military, thus for the first time in electoral history, we already know our president by Independence Day,” Mendoza told a news briefing before the proclamation.
“We wish the new government all the best, as we leave in their hands an economy in better shape than when we found it nine years ago,” he said. - With Jess Diaz, Evelyn Macairan and Paolo Romero