Former President Joseph Estrada, the standard bearer of the Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), will focus on his pro-poor programs rudely interrupted by the 2001 military takeover that installed President Arroyo when he leads the PMP proclamation rally today at the historic Plaza Miranda.
The PMP proclamation serves to kick off the cam-paign period for candidates seeking national positions that officially starts today.
Estrada will lead the proc-lamation rally to start at 4 p.m., Margaux Sal-cedo, Estrada’s spokesman, said.
The event shall also high-light several speeches to be done by the party’s senatorial candidates and guest candidates, Salcedo said.
She added guest candidates Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, Sen. Bong Revilla and Brig. Gen. Danny Lim have indicated their participation in the rally to join official PMP candidates JV Bautista, Joey de Venecia, Ompong Plaza, Jun Lozada and former CA justice Regalado Maambong.
Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, the PMP vice presidential candidate, will speak of his plan to extend the successful
programs in Makati to the entire country following the speech of Estrada.
Estrada will proclaim the official line up of the PMP and to share his platform or 2010 agenda.
Salcedo said that most of Estrada’s platform will concentrate on his unfinished programs while president, particularly on his pro-poor programs.
“He will discuss his pro-poor programs which were implemented during his term as president but was stalled when he was unceremoniously removed from the office,” she said.
She added that they had coordinated with authorities over the event to ensure a safe proclamation rally.
“we want to make sure that everything goes smoothly,” she added.
Salcedo said they expect thousands of the party’s supporters to join the rally.
Two days before the start of the official campaign season and the candidacy of former president Joseph Estrada received another boost from the most unlikely person: another candidate for the presidency.
Presidential candidate JC de los Reyes last Sunday acknowledged before the audience attending a presidential forum jointly sponsored by ABC Channel 5 and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) held at the Miriam College that Estrada’s short-lived presidency was better by far than the current administration of Arroyo.
Responding to a question posed by Estrada himself on whether it was his or the current administration which performed better, de los Reyes replied that he believed it was Estrada’s, explaining that this was a result of the latter’s political will, most evident in his decision to remove sovereign guarantees on all government contracts entered into during his administration.
Estrada’s stance against sovereign guarantees gained wide praise particularly after the hasty decision of former Justice Secretary Hernando Perez to clear the approval of the $470-million hydroelectric power contract of the Argentinian firm Impsa (Industrias Metalurgicas Pescarmona Sociedad Anonima) for the rehabilitation and operation of the Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan (CBK) complex in Laguna was first exposed.
Questions on the hurried approval of the company’s power contract with the newly-installed Arroyo government – signed barely two days days after the infamous Edsa ll coup d’etat – surfaced after former Manila Rep. Mark Jimenez accused Perez of extorting $2-million from him in exchange for the contract’s approval.
Perez and three other co-accused, including his wife Rosario, brother-in-law Ramon Arceo and associate Ernest Escaler were indicted in 2008 by Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.
In addition to Estrada and Delos Reyes, candidates Nicanor Perlas, Senators Richard Gordon and Jamby Madrigal, and Bro. Eddie Villanueva of Jesus is Lord (JIL) Movement also appeared at the forum.
Senators Noynoy Aquino and Manny Villar, as well as former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro were no-shows.