Former President Joseph Estrada.. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Verbal tirades continue between the two rivals for the mayoral seat in Manila City, with incumbent Mayor Alfredo Lim saying his opponent, former President Joseph Estrada, and his running mate should really be partners since “both of them are liars.”
In an interview during Monday’s Liberal Party’s proclamation rally for its local bets, Lim cited Estrada’s conviction for a plunder case which got him an ill-gotten wealth of over P500 million.
“Kunyari ‘Erap para sa mahirap’ pero sino ba ang yumaman? Siya (Erap claims he is for the poor but who got rich? Him),” Lim said.
Asked to comment on Estrada’s statement that only fools hold rallies on April Fool’s Day, Lim said: “Ni minsan hindi kami nagloloko sa panunungkulan sa pamahalaan. Baka s’ya . . . na-convict na nga s’ya for plunder. Niloloko niya tao (Not once did we fool people while serving in the government. It must be him fooling the people…he had been convicted for plunder).”
Lim also claimed that it is Estrada who started their exchange of verbal tirades, saying that he just needed to tell the “truth.”
“Eh s’ya nag-uumpisa eh. Pati ba naman pagkakampanya namin ng April 1 sasabihin nanloloko kami. Eh anong salita yon? . . . paano gusto niyang gawin namin, di na din kami kikibo (He was the one who started this. Even our campaigning on this day [April 1] he was saying we were fooling the people. What does he want? That we just keep quiet)?” the mayor said.
He also criticized Estrada’s running mate, Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, citing his case on alleged “ghost employees.”
“Dapat magka-partner nga sila. Parehas silang sinungaling. Birds of the same feather flock together . . . maco-convict din yan (They deserve to be partners. They are both liars…he [Moreno] would also be convicted),” Lim said.
He also took a jab at Estrada for his statement about people living in the streets of Manila with flies all over, saying that he would resign if there are no flies in San Juan City—Estrada’s bailiwick.
Furthermore, Lim said he doesn’t believe that Erap’s sortie Sunday afternoon in Manila with other candidates from the United Nationalist Alliance gathered 75,000 supporters.
“Sabi niya. Baka nakainom (That’s what he [Estrada] claimed. He must be drunk),” Lim said.
LP’s proclamation rally was held at the Bonifacio Shrine beside the Manila City Hall, attended by President Benigno Aquino III.