Lawyer Gwen Pimentel yesterday expressed regret over the decision of the Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino to drop her as a guest senatorial candidate in the 2010 elections even as she expressed her gratitude to former President Joseph Estrada for extending to her that privilege.

There is every reason to believe that Mr. Estrada and other PMP leaders included Pimentel in the opposition party’s senatorial slate in recognition of her own merits in terms of qualifications, leadership qualities and potentials in the field of legislation.

She said it is unfortunate that the privilege had to be suddenly withdrawn as a backlash of the feud between minority senators, led by her father, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. and a rival group that is in control of the Senate over a highly partisan and divisive issue.

“Through his kindness and goodness of heart, President Erap adopted me as a guest candidate in his party. But there are others in his party whose hearts are not as generous and who are swayed by vindictiveness in treating even those who have nothing to do with the Senate power play and who have done them no wrong,” Pimentel said.

“We thank President Erap wholeheartedly for his efforts to help my candidacy. But I will fight on with Sen. Manny Villar in pursuing our common goals of alleviating the plight of children, the marginalized and neglected sectors of society, in fighting for equality of women, in giving redress to victims of injustice, in mitigating the impact of climate change and in attaining peace and development in the barangay and in the whole country.”