Arroyo camp denies alliance with Ramos, Estrada
Former presidents Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
MANILA, Philippines — Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s camp on Tuesday denied speculations that there is a brewing alliance between her and former Presidents Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada.
According to reports, the alleged coalition is called “Triple X Alliance.”
Arroyo’s lawyer Ferdinand Topacio told Inquirer Radio 990AM in an interview that “there is no alliance yet.”
Topacio said the grouping together of the three came out when former Presidents Ramos and Estrada visited Arroyo at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) last month where she is currently detained.
“I think there are no more presidential ambitions between the three. I think that is the beauty of it, no political motive and agenda. It’s just the desire of three people. They just want to remain relevant and they want to share what they know,” Topacio said.
He said supporters of the three former presidents aim to stop any attempts to extend the current administration beyond 2016.
He said there is fear that even if President Benigno Aquino steps down when his terms expires in 2016, his policies would continue beyond that year.
“There is a consensus that the policies now being followed by the present administration should not extend beyond 2016. There is fear that the administration beyond 2016 may just be an extension or surrogate of the present administration. That is what they are seeking to prevent,” he said.
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