Jinggoy-Binay presidential team?

MANILA Pardoned former President Joseph Estrada says the United Opposition are considering Senators Panfilo Lacson, Manuel Villar, Loren Legarda and Manuel Roxas as possible candidates for the oppositions standard-bearer in 2010.

While he adds its still too early to say who will finally be selected, the four senators are probably presidential candidates.

But former Sen. Ernesto Maceda, a member of UNOs elderly committee, says the party is eyeing Estradas son Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay to be the oppositions presidential and vice presidential candidates, respectively, in 2010.

Binay is also the UNO president.
Senate President Villar, when asked to comment, said it was too early to be talking about the presidency. But he did not rule out the possibility of Estrada running again for the presidency in 2010.

Maceda made the announcement at a gathering in Vitas, Tondo in Manila early this month to dispel speculations that the opposition is in disarray after Estrada accepted the pardon granted to him by President Arroyo.
We as asking Senator Jinggoy Estrada and Makati Mayor Binay to talk and decide for themselves who among them will run for president and vice president,” Maceda said.

He said that the opposition has even become stronger with Estradas release.
It is not true that President Estradas decision to accept the pardon granted caused a crack in the opposition. In fact, it made us even stronger. You see, we are together,” Maceda said.

Maceda also said Estrada should serve the remaining three-and-a-half years stolen by Mrs. Arroyo.
He added that Estrada did not strike any deal with the Arroyo government for his pardon.
I was there from 9 a.m. when he signed the pardon and it was a roller-coaster day. We have not talked about any concession,” Maceda said.

Estrada expressed his deep gratitude to the people during his visit in Tondo.
I love of all of you. Erap can never repay his debt of gratitude to the poor. If not for the poor, Erap will not be where he is,” Estrada said.

Estrada recalled that the elite made him a laughing stock and undermined his capability to lead when he ran for mayor of San Juan.

Villar says We still dont have a team and we still dont know if Erap will surface. Theres still a lot to think about, so its better to relax.”

The Senate president also downplayed the announcement made by Maceda Nov. 1 in Tondo.

Villar spent his childhood and started his life in Tondo as a shrimp vendor before becoming one of the countrys richest men. The latest report of Forbes Asia magazine placed Villar as the fifth richest man in the Philippines, worth $940 million.
First, thats just what Manong Ernie said. Second, its too early to tell. Everything is just speculation. So I just take that with a grain of salt,” Villar said in an interview over dzBB.

Villar said he still holds in high regard ex-President Estradas vast influence on the political opposition.
He is still a big factor. I just dont know up to when. But he is still a factor. It didnt change especially now that he is out. He might even grow stronger, who knows. He is still respected by the opposition,” Villar, who is also the president of the Nacionalista Party, said.

Many political observers believe that Villar is setting his eyes on the presidency in 2010.
However, Senators Legarda and Francis Chiz Escudero, who both ran under the Genuine Opposition (GO) coalition in the last midterm elections, welcomed the idea broached by Maceda.

The tandem sounds good. Everyone has the right to dream for as long as it does not hurt other people,” Escudero said in a text message, referring to the Jinggoy-Binay tandem.

Legarda, who is also reportedly eyeing the top post in 2010, wished her potential contenders luck. Everyone and anyone is entitled to run in 2010. The more the merrier. May the best man or woman win,” Legarda said.

Since the next election is three years away, Villar said many things can still happen.

What is happening today may differ three years from now. Many things will happen in the near future and one cannot say with finality who will team up with whom in the 2010 elections, that is if there will still be elections in 2010,” Villar said in Filipino.

As of now, we need to ensure that there will really be elections in 2010,” the Senate president said.

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