MANILA, Philippines -- It’s like sleeping with an enemy, said opposition Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada of former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis “Chavit” Singson’s appointment as deputy national security adviser.

“I advise Secretary [Norberto] Gonzales to open his eyes 24 hours dahil [because] he’s sleeping with an enemy,” Estrada told reporters on Monday.

“Parang mayor-vice mayor lang yan [It’s like mayor-vicemayor]. Yung vice-mayor mananalangin na mangyari sa mayor [The vice mayor is praying that something happens to the mayor]. I also advise Secretary Gonzales not to trust Mr. Chavit,” he said.

Saying Singson was not qualified for the post, Estrada said the former local official should have been instead appointed as “jueteng minister,” referring to a popular but illegal numbers game similar to a lottery.

“Kailangan dito [What is needed here is] intelligence work. Wala namang background yan, ang background niyan jueteng, sugal [He doesn’t have any background, his background is jueteng, gambling]. Siguro intelihensya sa jueteng [Maybe intelligence in jueteng],” he said.

Instead of a threat to the opposition, Estrada considers Singson an “excess baggage” for the administration.

“Hindi siya threat sa amin [He is not a threat to us]. He is not a threat to the opposition,” he said.

Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, another opposition member, agreed with his colleague, saying that Singson’s new post was not enough to destabilize the opposition.

“Ang deputy NSA, hindi ganoon kalaki ang clout para ma-destabilize ang opposition [The clout of the deputy NSA is not that big to destabilize the opposition]. Hindi ko makita ang connection [I can’t see the connection],” he said in a separate interview.

“Ako, wait and see na lang ang attitude [As for me, it’s a wait and see attitude]. Kung makita natin na iba ang ginagawa niya kontra sa mandate niya, saka natin punahin pagdating sa forum tulad ng budget hearing [If we see that he is doing something that is against his mandate, then let us point this out in a forum like the budget hearing],” he said.

It was Singson’s testimony against then president Joseph Estrada that triggered the second popular revolt in 2001, leading to the ouster of Estrada and ascension to power by his then vice president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.