Charter bans Estrada from 2010 polls

MANILA, Philippines -- Former president Joseph Estrada is prohibited from seeking reelection under the Constitution, Senator Richard Gordon said Thursday, laughing off news reports of Estrada’s plan to run in the 2010 polls.

“He should run just to test whether the Filipino people really wants change, or simply wants to be entertained,” he said.

Gordon admitted that he himself has been thinking about running for the highest position in the land. “I’m available to run for president and I've been thinking about it. I am no hypocrite,” he said, noting that since becoming mayor of Olongapo City, he had always brought the people up the social and economic scale and not just make broken promises.

Gordon, although affiliated with the majority in the Senate, has said that he was not with the administration and warned the political opposition about Estrada’s announced intention to run again for president.

“Surely, if Erap runs, that would divide the opposition, wouldn’t it?” said Gordon, referring to Estrada by his nickname.

He said the primary issue that would be raised against Estrada as a presidential candidate in the 2010 elections would be his record as president, especially his conviction for plunder.

“For me, what is important is the reaction of the Filipinos nationally to Estrada’s candidacy. Although we pitied him when he was under detention, we should first consider our sense of justice before our sense of pity,” he said in Filipino.

“While we all condemn graft and corruption, this is the first time that a president in our country who has been sentenced [for corruption] but has not spent a single day in [state] prison,” he said.

The possibility of Gordon and Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia running together for president and vice president, respectively, in the 2010 election, has been raised.

Gordon: Charter bans Estrada from 2010 presidential polls
By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 16:14:00 01/03/2008
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080103-110160/
Gordon_Charter_bans_Estrada_from_2010_presidential_polls