Erap wants to become El Shaddai preacher

From President Estrada to Bro. Joseph?

El Shaddai leader Bro. Mariano “Mike” Velarde announced during a prayer rally last Saturday that pardoned former President Joseph Estrada wanted to be a regular preacher of El Shaddai, a religious movement founded by Velarde that is considered one of the most influential religious groups in the country.

Velarde said Estrada will start his new calling this coming Saturday.

He said the former president had told him during their meeting three weeks before he was pardoned by President Arroyo for plunder, that his six years and six months incarceration made him realize his purpose in life.

Velarde said Estrada asked God why He made him popular.

“He (Estrada) told me that he asked the Lord: Why did you make me a popular movie actor, Mayor, Senator, Vice President and then President? Then why did you jail me?”

“I asked what the Lord answered to him. He said that after a few days, he realized that the Lord has his good purpose in all the things that are happening. It was at this time when he (Estrada) made his vow to me to return to El Shaddai and be its preacher,” Velarde said.

“Pareng Erap told me that he believed he will be released with the help of  our prayers  and he will return and visit his brothers and sisters in El Shaddai. His last words to me were: Call me from ‘President to Prisoner and from Prisoner to Preacher.’ Amen,” Velarde said.

The news of Estrada’s turn as Shaddai preacher man was met with cheers by the group’s members.

“Who wants Erap to be their preacher? Raise your hands and let’s pray for that. Erap will be your preacher in the following years, while I will be your President. Do you want that? Okay, you still don’t want it, then, we will just chose among those who want to be president,” Velarde said to his members.

Estrada was not able to attend the prayer rally because of a fever. His sons, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and Jude Estrada, came on his behalf. Jinggoy was quick to deny that Estrada was only evading to see some people who went to the gathering.

President Arroyo also went to see Velarde and his wife, Sister Belen, who was celebrating her birthday, but no longer joined the prayer rally for security reasons.

“I am confident that it will not be Jinggoy who will be with us next Saturday, but Pareng Erap himself. Pareng Erap will be here not to express all his grievances, but to share with us the good things given to him by God while he was alone and detained in Tanay, Rizal” Velarde said.