MANILA, Philippines - The camp of former President Joseph ?Erap? Estrada now believes he won?t be disqualified from running for president next year following recent statements by Malacañang which apparently wants him to run to further divide the opposition.

This was the assessment of former Sen. Ernesto Maceda, who told reporters Friday that the Palace had changed its stance on Estrada?s eligibility to run following the entry of Sen. Benigno ?Noynoy? Aquino III, who is running for president under the Liberal Party.

The former senator had said earlier ?the word from Malacañang through our friends, they wanted Erap disqualified.?

?But since Noynoy came into the picture, that seems to have changed that they are now saying Erap is qualified,? he said, citing statements made recently by Press Secretary Cerge Remonde and Lakas vice president Prospero Pichay.

Further division

?Because they said it?s better there are so many candidates of the opposition so do not disqualify Erap because according to them, they believe it will further divide the opposition,? Maceda added.

Aside from Estrada and Aquino, Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. is also running for president under the opposition banner. The administration is fielding former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro as its presidential bet.

That was why Maceda said he felt ?very, very confident? Estrada won?t be disqualified.

But if ever Estrada is disqualified, Maceda said they intend to field Sen. Jinggoy Estrada as substitute to his father.

He said substitution is allowed.

?If a candidate dies, withdraws, or is disqualified, the party can make a substitution,? Maceda said.
But he said the Commission on Elections was not yet clear on the issue of whether the vote for the substituted candidate on the ballot can be counted in favor of the substitute.

Still, he said Jinggoy would be an ideal substitute to his father given that the name of Estrada would be printed on the ballot.

Complete slate

Maceda said the Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) would have a complete senatorial slate.

At present, PMP has identified 17 possible senatorial candidates.

These include Jinggoy, former Sen. Serge Osmena III, who had just bolted the Liberal Party, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Sen. Ramon ?Bong? Revilla Jr., Rep. Rodolfo Plaza, Joey de Venecia, detained Gen. Danny Lim, former Sen. Ernesto Herrera, former Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, former Rep. Apolinario Lozada, former party-list Rep. JV Bautista, Dean Amado Valdez, Grace Poe, Rosemarie Baby Arenas, Rez Cortez and Tyrone Kalaw.