Erap on House bid: I was only joking

MANILA, Philippines - It was just a joke.

Former President Joseph Estrada backtracked yesterday from an earlier statement that he would seek the lone congressional seat in San Juan and block President Arroyo’s bid for prime minister should her allies in Congress succeed in establishing a parliamentary form of government through a constituent assembly (con-ass).

In a telephone interview with The STAR, Estrada expressed confidence that con-ass will not push through.

On Wednesday, Estrada said that he will seek a congressional seat if the House-approved Resolution 1109 gets underway.

“It’s just a joke because I did not entertain the idea that con-ass will push through. I will run for congressman of San Juan if con-ass will push through. But I do not want to think that it will push through. It will not succeed. And I know she (Arroyo) was also joking,” Estrada told reporters after landing at the General Santos City airport.

Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay earlier revealed that Mrs. Arroyo would prolong her stay in power by running for a congressional seat in the second district of Pampanga, setting the stage for her to become prime minister under a parliamentary form of government as hatched by her allies in Congress.

Binay said Mrs. Arroyo would seek a congressional seat, then run for House speaker and then prime minister.

In an interview over radio dzXL yesterday, Estrada said Arroyo’s bid to become prime minister will not happen because con-ass to change the Constitution and establish a parliamentary form of government is “illegal.”

Estrada’s spokesperson Margaux Salcedo said the former president’s strong message in his planned bid to run for congressman of San Juan is that he will do everything to stop con-ass that would prolong Arroyo’s hold on power.

Estrada maintained that he would support Charter change, but not during the Arroyo administration.

He also belittled the result of the recent survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) showing that the presidential race in 2010 is trimmed down to Sen. Manuel Villar, Vice President Noli de Castro and Sen. Manuel Roxas II.

Estrada said the SWS survey was not reliable.

He said in 2004, SWS exit polls said his best friend, the late Fernando Poe Jr., was losing in Metro Manila, but it turned out later that Poe had a big lead over Mrs. Arroyo.

“It is too early to gauge the chances of the prospective presidentiables right now,” he said.

Estrada, who has not categorically declared his intention to run in the 2010 presidential elections, said he would meet and decide whether to seek the presidency anew in 2010 either in July or August.

Villar topped the latest SWS survey, with De Castro second and Roxas third. – Dennis Carcamo