Erap greets Arroyo happy birthday: ‘I hope you run again, we need you’

FORMER PRESIDENTS: Former president Joseph Estrada and fellow former Chief Executive Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / LYN RILLON

LUBAO, Pampanga — “I hope you run again. We need you,” this was the message of former president Joseph Estrada on Monday as he greeted fellow former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ahead of the latter’s 75th birthday.

Estrada greeted Macapagal-Arroyo through a phone call during Macapagal-Arroyo’s advance birthday celebration in Lubao town.

The event was attended by vice presidential candidate Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio and senatorial candidates under the UniTeam slate, including President Estrada’s son, Jinggoy.

“I hope you run again, I’ll be your campaign manager,” Estrada told Arroyo through a phone call which was connected to the venue’s speaker system.

“We need you, we need you,” he added.

In response, Macapagal-Arroyo thanked Estrada. She also greeted Estrada who will celebrate his 85th birthday on April 19.

“We need you also,” Macapagal-Arroyo told Estrada.

Estrada was elected as the president of the country in 1998, with Macapagal-Arroyo as the Vice President. When Estrada stepped down after the so-called Edsa people power 2 in 2001, Macapagal-Arroyo was sworn into office.

In one of the most controversial presidential elections in the country, Macapagal-Arroyo was elected president in 2004.

Macapagal-Arroyo is currently running for a congressional post in Pampanga’s second district.

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JPV