MANILA, Philippines - Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), the political party of former president Joseph Estrada, is also getting its share of local officials who have defected from rival parties, a party stalwart said Monday.

Former ambassador and PMP campaign manager Ernesto Maceda said a number of officials affiliated with the administration party Lakas-Kampi-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) and the Nationalist Peoples? Coalition (NPC) have either jumped to their party or have forged an alliance with them.

Maceda, meanwhile, reiterated that Estrada is not withdrawing from the presidential race.

The former president will file his certificate of candidacy together with runningmate, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, and their slate, at 11 a.m. on November 30, Maceda added in an interview aired live on radio.

Leading the PMP?s new recruits are Quezon City Representative Annie Rosa Susano, who will run for mayor next year. From Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Susano leaped to the NPC two months ago to be the party?s candidate.

Susano will face Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista, who transferred to the Liberal Party (LP) from Lakas-Kampi-CMD last week, and possibly former presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor in the mayoralty race.

Maceda said Susano will remain with the NPC, but that the party will have an ?informal coalition? with PMP.

Also joining the PMP are Koronadal City Mayor Fernando Miguel and his slate, former governor Pedro Bacani of Quirino province, and former Isabela governor Benjamin Dy, who will run for mayor of Cauayan City, Maceda said.

He also expects the PMP to get local support from Cagayan province, the home province of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.