Erap sees Binay staying with UNA

MANILA, Philippines - Former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada believes that Vice President Jejomar Binay will stay with the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

“We were together in the 2010 elections where he won as vice president. I think he will stay with us,” Estrada said.

The mayor said reports that Binay may be a common candidate of the Liberal Party (LP) and UNA indicate that the administration is insecure and has no strong candidate for president in 2016.

Estrada said Binay does not need an endorsement from President Aquino to win the presidential elections in 2016, Estrada said yesterday.

He told reporters at the Manila City Hall that the consistent high acceptance rating received by Binay in various surveys gives him an edge over other political personalities who have expressed intention to run for president in the 2016 polls.

“I believe so because he has the highest acceptance rating,” Estrada said when asked to comment on reports that Binay will be the common candidate of LP and UNA.

Estrada said that should Binay decide to run under LP, he still has to choose from available leaders of the opposition the UNA presidential candidate for 2016.

“We have to choose and there is a proper process for that,” Estrada said.

“We must decide a year before the election. The election is still very far. It is still two years before the election,” Estrada said.

Estrada earlier said that he would be forced to run for president again should UNA fail to get a standard bearer.

Estrada is the founder of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) that formed a coalition with Binay’s Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) to establish UNA, which launched the tandem of Estrada and Binay in the 2010 polls.