Erap to run for president if Poe, Binay refuses

Joseph ‘Erap’ Ejercito Estrada is still the Mayor of Manila after the Supreme Court ruling. (Photo courtesy of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada Facebook page)

MANILA — Former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada yesterday said that he will run for president again in 2016 only if neither Vice President Jejomar Binay nor Sen. Grace Poe would run for the presidential candidacy.

Estrada made the statement to the Philippine Star following the Supreme Court’s decision to junk the disqualification case raised against him.

“That’s the only reason I would be compelled to run,” Estrada said.

“I will just be a spectator should VP Binay and Grace run against each other in the 2016 presidential elections. I cannot run against the two of them,” he added.

Estrada also said on previous statements that he will support Poe as she was a daughter of the late movie actor Fernando Poe Jr., his best friend.

“FPJ campaigned for me when I ran for mayor of San Juan, for senator, vice president and president. He did not make any movie so he could join my campaign for president in 1998,” he told The STAR.

“I regret that I was not able to campaign for him when he ran for president in 2004 because I was then in jail,” Estrada said.

As for the possibility of running for a second term as Manila Mayor, Estrada said:

“After my term, I will retire from politics. But if Vice Mayor Isko Moreno decides to run for senator or congressman – that will be a different story.

I will be forced to run for reelection.”

“I cannot entrust the mayoralty post to anyone except Moreno. All the projects are now lined up. Only Moreno can continue that. He is the only one I can entrust the projects and reforms that I have started,” he added.