SAYS REMULLA
Estrada behind Villar ouster
By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 20:53:00 11/20/2008
Filed Under: Congress, Politics, Eleksyon 2010
MANILA, Philippines—The camp of resigned Senate president Manuel Villar finally broke its silence Thursday, directly accusing former president Joseph Estrada of being behind his ouster.
Former congressman Gilbert Remulla, spokesman of Villar’s Nacionalista Party, pointed to Estrada as the one who “maneuvered” Villar’s removal from office.
“Erap (Estrada’s nickname) is putting the final touches in his bid to return to Malacañang,” Remulla said in a text message.
“After managing to remain as a top contender in the surveys, he maneuvered the removal from the Senate presidency of Manny Villar, another top contender for the presidency,” he said.
Remulla said this was further reinforced by Estrada’s declaration he would be compelled to run for president if the opposition fails to pick a common standard-bearer.
“He (Estrada) knows fully well that with all the rival ambitions it is virtually impossible to choose a single candidate for president -- leaving him ‘no choice’,” he said.
“Instead of being a uniting force, Erap is using the divide and conquer tactic all for a chance at redemption,” Remulla said.
In various media interviews, Estrada repeatedly denied any hand in the ouster of Villar.
Estrada’s son, Senator Jose Esrada, and incumbent Senator Juan Ponce-Enrile also denied any involvement of the former leader in the change of leadership in the upper chamber.
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