http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20100224hed6.html
Appearing to have come to her political senses, singer-comedienne Marissa Sanchez has become yet another Edsa ll participant who has publicly apologized to former President Joseph Estrada for having helped in ousting him in 2001.
In Batangas City, Sanchez, who joined the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) campaign around two weeks ago, said she did not know much about Estrada then when she joined the Edsa coup.
For her Estrada deserved to be ousted — that is, until yesterday when she sang “Kahit na Magtiis,” a song written and composed by Estrada, at a political rally for the PMP in Idaan town Batangas.
Sanchez, before a crowd of 2,000 Estrada supporters, said that she was one of those who felt sorry she joined then Vice President Gloria Arroyo during Edsa ll coup d’etat in removing the then sitting President Estrada.
“Mr. President, I am also one of those who regrets having helped in your ouster, just like President Cory Aquino’s regret over joining Edsa ll”, a crying Sanchez told Estrada and over two thousand supporters who gathered at a big resort in Batangas to welcome the PMP candidates yesterday.
Sanchez also warned the crowd not to get misled by voting for candidates who do not deserve to be in Malacañang.
“I cried because I was part of Edsa Dos. I was one of those (celebrities ) who joined the rally,” Sanchez said after her performance.
The comedienne explained that she joined the campaign of Estrada initially because the wife of reelectionist Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Precy, is her best friend.
“AT the start, I told Jinggoy’s wife that I will join the campaign because of Jinggoy, but will not support Estrada, his father. I told them that I don’t like (the elder) Estrada personally,” Sanchez explained in an interview.
She, however, said that everything has changed since she joined the Estrada campaign.
“Now I realize how good President Estrada is,” she said.
She told the crowd that President Estrada had been wrongly accused of a crime and punished.
“Erap can be likened to the way Jesus was made to suffer, as Jesus was crucified even when Jesus did no wrong,” she said, adding that Estrada was wrongly accused and punished for a crime even when he was innocent of the crime and even when there was no evidence to prove he had committed the crime of plunder.
At the same time, a PMP senatorial bet yesterday said that the financial backers of President Arroyo are the same financiers who are funding the candidacy of Nationalista Party standard bearer Sen. Manny Villar.
Former Rep. J V Bautista said: “They are now behind Villar, they are funding Villar.”
Bautista also expressed doubts that the most likely person who could be behind the move to ask former President Estrada to back out of the presidential derby would be Villar.
“I have no direct knowledge about that but if you are going to speculate, the most likely person to do that would be him (Villar),” said Bautista.
Estrada earlier said that he has been asked to back out the presidential race in exchange for being reimbursed of all the expenses he has incurred during his campaign.
Estrada, in a separate interview after his short speech at the rally, admitted that there were attempts to bribe him out of the presidential race but he denied having pointed an accusing finger at Villar.
Estrada said emissaries have been sent to him.
“There were overtures, feelers,” he said, adding that the last time the offer was made was only about two weeks ago. The first was around nine months ago, he said.
Estrada reiterated that he is not going to back out of the presidential race even as he said that reports about the issue were mere “propaganda gimmicks” of his political rivals.
He said he cannot leave behind PMP vice presidential candidate Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay and his senatorial candidates such as Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, former Sen. Francisco “Kit” Tatad and the rest of the PMP senatorial slate.
In his well applauded speech, Estrada called on his supporters to shun candidates who are “buying” their way into the presidency.
“They will offer to buy your vote, but after the elections, they will get it back from you at least 10 times its worth,” he told a jam-packed hall at a resort here.
Estrada and his party, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Tatad, Enrile, JV Bautista, former Negros Occidental Rep. Aoplinario “Jun” Lozada, motored from Batangas City to Ibaan, Lipa City, Sta. Rosa, San Pedro and Biñan yesterday stopping at big crowds and calling on municipal mayors along the way.
Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay yesterday also warned farmers in Batangas that agriculture is in peril in Southern Luzon.
Binay, who claims to have his roots in Bauan, Batangas, urged his fellow Batangueños and the people of neighboring Laguna to preserve their roots in farming and harness its potential as a moneymaker.
“With the onset of the dry season, I understand that there are a lot of tourists flocking to your famous resorts and beaches to escape the heat. However, I urge you not to forget that your province is originally,and still is agricultural,” he said at the sidelines of the PMP motorcade and mini-rally here.
This developed as Enrile said that he is preparing a comprehensive plan for the agriculture sector to help farmers and fisherfolk boost production, modernize methods and cope with the dry spell, and ensure there is enough food supply in the country.
He said that the program will also temper food costs and cut down dependence on imported products, said Enrile, who is running for reelection under the PMP banner.
Speaking over the radio in Mindoro Occidental, the Senate chief said funding for irrigation and conservation of water resources should be increased to manage the impact of the El Niño phenomenon that periodically visits the Philippines.
At least 25 provinces have been affected by the drought so far, and the government expects the number to increase as it predicts El Niño to last until July. Field reports received by the Department of Agriculture as of Feb. 16 showed that over 200,000 metric tons (MT) of palay, corn and other crops with an aggregate value of P2.84 billion have been damaged by the dry spell.
Severely affected by El Niño are Isabela, Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Occidental and Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Masbate, Antique, Negros Occidental and Guimaras.
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