Estrada confirms plan to run for mayor

Manila Former president Joseph Estrada yesterday confirmed his plans to run for mayor of Manila, a move that will pit him against a former political ally.

The former president drove in a van with Manila Vice-Mayor Isko Moreno, Estrada's wife and former senator Loi Ejercito and their daughter Jackie and were welcomed by applauding Santa Mesa residents as a brass band played.

Estrada's theatrical political gesture was not lost on residents of Manila's Santa Mesa district as he drove from his long-time residence in San Juan's Greenhills to the capital's middle-class Santa Mesa district where he had recently purchased a decades-old 7,000 square metre, eight-room house formerly owned by the Legarda family.

Formerly a mayor of San Juan, Estrada's move to Santa Mesa was necessary for him to qualify to run as Manila chief executive. Under the country's laws, he must have resided at least for a year in the district or city where he is seeking election in order to run.

Preparation

"This is where I plan to live," Estrada said in Filipino in television reports.

Estrada had earlier been rumoured to be seeking election for the Manila mayoral post in the 2013 mid-term elections. His announcement yesterday was affirmation of this.

Joseph Marcelo Ejercito Estrada was born on April 19, 1937, in Manila's Tondo district. His parents, Emilio Ejercito and Maria Marcelo, moved to San Juan where he grew up. Estrada's move to prepare for his candidacy will place him on a collision course with Alfredo Lim, the incumbent who is in his second term of office.

Lim and Estrada were once allies but the two had a falling out in recent years. Recently, Lim's Vice-Mayor, Moreno, took to the side of Estrada and blasted the incumbent city chief executive for mismanagement that led to the delay of salaries of local public servants.

Estrada has had a long period of serving San Juan behind him. He was first elected mayor of the then municipality of San Juan in 1967 and served for 17 years. In 1987 he was elected senator and then vice-president in 1992.