Sen. Estrada says Aquino thanked him for vote on ARMM polls postponement

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada. INQUIRER/NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III had called up Senate President Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada to thank him for his vote for the postponement of the August 8 elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Estrada himself disclosed this Thursday morning before he left Manila to attend the Independence Day celebration of Qatar, where he was also scheduled to meet with a Filipino couple jailed for alleged “indiscretion.”

Estrada also denied that Malacañang promised P100 million in additional allocations in exchange for favorable vote on the measure.

Voting 13-7, the Senate approved Senate Bill 2756 postponing the regional polls and synchronizing it with the national elections in 2013.

Estrada said the President called him right after the Senate voted for the postponement, which the President wanted.