Who do you think would be the next president of the Philippines?

In the Philippines, do you think if the ex-President Joseph Ejercito Estrada run for office again he will win?

• After he was granted absolute pardon by no other than the President Gloria Arroyo last year, he said then that he is not anymore interested to run for office of the President in 2010. But now, he is singing a different story, after the debacle of the rising prices of rice in the Philippines, he said he might change his mind because of the clamor of the people who are already hungry and dissatisfied with the way the government is run by Mrs. Arroyo. But isn't it true that during his own time, people too are hungry and dissatisfied with the way things are going then in 1999 until his ouster in 2001. Yet he still has the guts to tell the people that he might run for 2010 and then what repeat history all over again? I for one do not like him anymore, whatelse can a wash-up ex-President at his age(72) do in the government? Why can't he just give it up and just stay in his mansion house and keep his apo's in his side and play madjong. What do Filipino here thinks about these? Filipino!

• Answer:

  Joseph's (Jose) resume is not very impressive. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Estrada Coming from a background of poverty, onto movie careers, and mayoral positions, he was entrusted by the Filipino people to make a positive change as the president of the country. During Joseph's administration in 1998-2001, the Philippines economy got screwed severely instead. The monetary value of the Philippines went from about 40 to 55 peso to a dollar. He got busted for stealing from his own Philippine government and money-laundered funds into his secret bank accounts. Joseph took a big gamble to deliberately lie in court despite taking an oath to be truthful; consequently his money-making scheme failed and lost it all. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,296500,00.html He was sentenced to "life in prison" for stealing over $81 million dollars (3.24 billion pesos) from the Filipino people and the country. Also involved the reposession of mansions he bought for his mistresses worth $15 million. Reaching way over retirement age as you've pointed out is one thing, but with such an unbelievable criminal background, he shouldn't even be qualified to run as the Philippine president or work for any financial related industry. All he's proven is that he takes advantage of any opportunity for his own self gain and will lie at any cost to persuade and convince anyone. Everyone now knows he can't save people from hunger or is worthy of running the government. For Joseph to run for President is a slap in the face of every Filipino and a global embarrasment through the eyes of all the other countries of the world. The Philippines can do a thousand times better than that. Joseph's resume belongs in the recycling bin.