ER’s ouster won’t affect Noy-Erap ties

MANILA, Philippines - Ties between President Aquino and Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada remain strong despite the ouster last week of Emilio Ramon “ER” Ejercito as governor of Laguna, Malacañang said yesterday.

Ejercito, whose ouster was affirmed by the Supreme Court for overspending in the last election, is a nephew of Estrada.

“As far as we know, all is well between President Aquino and former President now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada,” said Presidential Communications and Operations Office chief Herminio Coloma Jr. 

The Palace official said it was the high court that upheld the decision of the Commission on Elections, which found the governor guilty of overspending in the May 2013 polls.

Ejercito made no secret of his anger against Aquino and expressed his wish for the President to be jailed once he retires and loses immunity from suit.

Coloma said they are merely doing their duties as mandated by law.

Aquino has told foreign journalists of his willingness to be incarcerated once he steps down from the presidency.

Estrada and Aquino are friends. Estrada supported Aquino’s candidacy in the 2010 presidential elections, apparently to divide and reduce votes for then presidential contender and senator Manny Villar.

Aquino spared Estrada from criticisms of his predecessors. He often takes swipes at detained Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was his economics professor at the Ateneo de Manila University in the 1980s.

But ties between Aquino and Estrada were  strained after Estrada’s senator-son Jinggoy, was charged with plunder and arrested for his alleged involvement in the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam.

During the campaign for local chief executives in the May 2013 polls, Aquino criticized candidates who did not belong to the Liberal Party, among them the family of detained opposition Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. in Cavite and the Estradas of Laguna.