Estrada to decide presidential run by last quarter of 2009
MANILA, Philippines – Ousted president Joseph Estrada on Friday said he would decide whether to run in the 2010 presidential elections by the last quarter of 2009.
Estrada said he could tell whether he can still unite the opposition by that time. If his efforts fail, he said would run for president.
“I’m still uniting the opposition… Part of my New Year’s resolution is to double my time to unite the opposition into supporting only one candidate in 2010,” Estrada said.
Estrada said a fragmented opposition would be easily cheated in 2010 like what had happened to his friend, the late movie actor Fernando Poe, Jr. (FPJ), who ran but lost to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo due to alleged massive cheating in the 2004 presidential elections.
He said he was elated with the statement made by ousted Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. that he could still run in 2010 because “the Constitutional prohibition against any re-election for the president does not apply to former presidents.”
“I’m thankful. I thanked House Speaker De Venecia,” Estrada said.
Estrada had said that he would run in 2010 if the opposition fails to unite and support a single presidential candidate.
De Venecia said the constitutional prohibition against any re-election for the president only applies to an “incumbent president.”
He said the intention of the Constitutional Commission in including the prohibition in the 1987 Constitution is to prevent an incumbent from using the powers and resources of his office for his re-election. – GMANews.TV
Tags: fernando poe jr, gloria macapagal arroyo, jose de venecia, joseph estrada, presidential elections
i think ex-president estrada will not run for president in 2010.. they will support only in opposition leader that run for presidential in 2010..