UNA birthday wish for Estrada: Victory in Manila

PANGASINAN, Philippines — Opposition candidates on Thursday said that they were hopeful that deposed President Joseph Estrada will win in his “final battle” for the post of Manila City mayor.

“I hope that in his final challenge, he would win in his final battle in Manila. I hope he wins to give new hope for Manila,” his son, San Juan Representative JV Ejercito Estrada, told reporters in a recent interview.

This was echoed by the rest of the senatorial candidates of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) whose birthday wish for Estrada, one of the three leaders of the coalition, was victory come Election Day.

Aside from wishes that the former President wins in the midterm elections, many of the UNA candidates also prayed for his good health.

Estrada turns 76 on Friday.

Oppositionist Manila

Former senator Ernesto Maceda, who is running for senator under the opposition, said that it was likely that Estrada will be the next mayor of Manila as the city “has traditionally been oppositionist.”

“It never follows the lead of the President. Manila has the biggest number of poor people, many are unemployed–it will almost certainly go with the opposition,” he said.

The younger Estrada described Manila as a “decaying city” and a “big ghetto” which needed the intervention of his father to ensure “urban renewal.”

The problem with Lim

Estrada may be getting older by Friday but even then, he will still be several years younger than his rival, incumbent Mayor Alfredo Lim.

Lim, who has been nicknamed Dirty Harry, is running for re-election under the Liberal Party.

“The problem with Lim is that he acts like a goon. He has been intimidating village officials, scaring businesses like those tricycles which carry President Erap’s (Estrada’s nickname) tarpaulins or stickers. Even those wearing our t-shirts,” said the San Juan lawmaker.

“I hope the Manileños would stand up this time against the reign of terror of Lim,” he said.

Close fight

But Estrada said that the fight for the mayoral post will be a close one “but hopefully he gains the momentum. I am hoping. I am optimistic.”

Should he win as Manila mayor, Nancy Binay said that Estrada’s political career would come “full circle.”

“He started as mayor and he will end (his political career) as mayor of Manila,” she told reporters.