Estrada sees an end to ‘dirty tricks’

Former President Joseph Estrada, who is running as mayor of Manila against incumbent Mayor Alfredo Lim, lauded the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday for junking the last disqualification case against him.

Estrada visited the Comelec main office in Intramuros, Manila, to get a copy of the   Comelec resolution. He has blamed the filing of the case on the camp of Lim, dubbed as the capital’s “Dirty Harry.”

“Dirty Harry filed three disqualification cases and these have all been dismissed. I think this is the last of the dirty tricks of the outgoing mayor,” Estrada said.

He added that he was thinking of filing a disqualification case of his own against Lim, questioning his citizenship.

“We cannot find any birth certificate (of Lim) and he cannot produce one. The people deserve to know his citizenship,” Estrada said.

On April 23, the Comelec en banc upheld the decision of the poll body’s Second Division which also dismissed the disqualification case lawyer Alicia Risos-Vidal filed against Estrada.

“Petitioner’s Motion for Reconsideration failed to present new or substantial arguments which have not been presented in her prior submissions,” the Comelec said.

Estrada said Lim should just allow the voters of Manila to decide who should be their next local chief executive.

“I hope this will end his dirty tricks. I want the people to decide who is the real winner,” he said.