Estrada slams LP leaders for linking Binay to Arroyo

MANILA, Philippines—Former President Joseph Estrada blasted Liberal Party stalwarts for questioning Vice President Jejomar Binay’s commitment to the government’s anti-corruption drive and associating him with detained ex-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

An incensed Estrada said the LP tack was a “smear campaign” against Binay, who had made known his intention to run in the 2016 presidential election.

“They are afraid of Binay because right now, there is no one who can match against him in 2016,” Estrada told the Inquirer in a phone interview.

Estrada downplayed the chances of Transportation Secretary Manuel Roxas II, the presumptive LP standard-bearer in 2016, against Binay. He noted that Binay defeated Roxas in the 2010 vice presidential race. “Tinalo na n’ya ‘yun (He defeated Roxas already),” he said.

Estrada was annoyed with Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad and Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, who both challenged Binay to let the public know if he was supporting the Aquino administration’s anti-corruption campaign.

Abad and Abaya, both LP stalwarts, wanted Binay to clarify his position after he established the United Nationalist Alliance, which is a coalition between Binay’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) and Estrada’s Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).

“Sino ba ‘yang Butch Abad na ‘yan? Sino ba ‘yang Abaya na ‘yan? (Who is this Butch Abad? Who is this Abaya?) Never heard,” Estrada said. “Where were the Butch Abads and the Abayas during the trying times of Cory (Aquino), when Binay risked his life to defend her against the coup attempts?”

Estrada added: “Saling-pusa lang sila. Ngayon, puporma-porma sila. (They’re only hangers-on. Now they’re positioning themselves.)”

He defended the establishment of UNA, saying that having a political opposition was “important in a democracy.” “We can’t afford to have just one party. It can’t be one-sided. There has to be an opposition so that people can choose,” he said.

Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, the PDP-Laban president, said Wednesday that the LP was “taking the formation of UNA out of context.”

Pimentel, who will seek reelection under the UNA ticket next year, said the coalition was not formed specifically to oppose the LP, which is expected to field its own senatorial candidates.

“The PMP and the PDP-Laban will sign a platform agreement and present it to the people, similar to what the LP would do. For all we know, our platforms could be the same. So, why are they talking about drawing the line? I don’t see any logic in that,” he told the Inquirer. “As president of PDP-Laban, I’m extending my hand of invitation to LP to take a look at our platform and entertain the possibility of a coalition.”

Sen. Francis Escudero, who is also being considered for the UNA lineup, said it was still “too early” to discuss politics in the context of the 2013 midterm elections.

“Alliances are political certainties and there is rhyme and reason to that. The polls may be already next year but personally I think it’s not yet the right time to be busy about political shopping,” he said in a statement.

“There is always the right timing to talk politics, it is inevitable, yes, but this should take a backseat because we have many pressing issues to take care of and these are unavoidable issues that hit people in their guts,” he added, noting the issues such as the rising oil prices and the Mindanao power crisis.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said including politicians identified with Arroyo on the UNA senatorial slate might not be a good idea for the coalition.

“In my own personal opinion, it would be bad for them,” he said in Filipino, noting that Arroyo, now detained for an electoral sabotage case, remained “very unpopular.”

“So, if you coddle allies who are overprotective of her, politically, I think it’s a bad move,” Lacson added.

Estrada said it was “impossible” for Binay to support Arroyo, pointing out that he had served as the campaign manager of the late Fernando Poe Jr. Poe lost to Arroyo in the 2004 presidential election, whose results were later questioned amid the “Hello Garci” scandal.

“If he ends up supporting Arroyo, I’ll be the first one to break the coalition. I know it will not happen. It’s impossible,” Estrada said.

But the former President said he was open to accepting Arroyo allies so long as they were “never involved in graft and corruption under her administration.”