Like Pardon, Transactional Politics behind Erap Endosement

Gordon, for his part, slammed the “transactional politics” being practiced by some presidential hopefuls.

“When will we ever learn?” Gordon asked in the wake of reports that former President Joseph Estrada would seek another mandate in 2010 should the opposition remain divided in fielding a single candidate.

Estrada had clarified he would not seek re-election and would give way to other potential presidential candidates, Gordon, however, said some opposition personalities are already “cozying up” to Estrada to get the coveted endorsement.

Gordon said Estrada, though elected by a landslide in 1998, was ousted in a popular uprising in 2001 over corruption charges that later led to his conviction of plunder.

“Erap (Estrada) is badly disfigured due to his conviction by a legal court. He is the trophy of the Philippine judiciary system, except that it was tainted by President Arroyo by pardoning him without even serving a single day in prison,” Gordon said.

“Now that he is free man, Estrada wants to make himself feel important by buying the stairway to heaven. By saying that he will run, Erap is trying to be a player again so politicians will cozy up to him. That’s why he is distributing gifts left and right,” he said.

Gordon said Estrada was “actually worse than the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos because Estrada was convicted while Marcos was not.”

He said Estrada is now practicing “transactional politics” not realizing that the people cozying up to him are the same people who abandoned him and caused him his downfall.

Gordon named Senate President Manuel “Manny” Villar Jr. and Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II as among those seeking Estrada’s political blessings.

Roxas was a former Cabinet member of Estrada whose resignation triggered a momentum in the bid to oust the former movie star.

Villar, then the Speaker, made the historic move of hastily transmitting the impeachment complaint against Estrada to the Senate in 2000, which paved the way for his trial.

Both are known presidential contenders in 2010, Gordon said.

“These are the same people who had also helped ask Mrs. Arroyo to pardon Estrada, proof that each one is into transactional politics,” he added.

Angara: LDP to be kingmaker in 2010
By Aurea Calica
The Philippine Star
Sunday, January 6, 2008
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=200