VP Binay wants 'landscape victory' for Erap

By on 5:12 AM

Vice-President Jejomar Binay admitted Friday that he will be unable to go to the 76th birthday party of his friend and fellow United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) leader, former President Joseph Estrada, because he is busy campaigning for UNA.

Speaking to reporters, Binay said he wants to spend more time on the campaign since it is less than a month before the May 13 polls.

"Birthday ngayon ni Erap ha. Hindi ko malaman kung paano ko ihihingi ng dispensa. Sinabi ko na lang sa kanya, 'Sir, unawain mo lamang ha, kailangan magtrabaho tayo.' Siguro sa pamamagitan nyo na lamang, 'President Erap, happy birthday, nandito po kami sa La Union,'" he said in an interview.

Asked about his birthday wish for Estrada, the vice-president joked: "Sana landscape victory."

Estrada, 76, is running for mayor of Manila against incumbent Mayor Alfredo Lim. A former movie actor, he said he wanted to end his political career as the mayor of a city where he was born and in whose sprawling slums he remains hugely popular.

"I was born in Manila, I first became a famous actor in Manila, so my career has come full circle," Estrada told AFP
"But this is my last hurrah in politics. I just want to clean up Manila and put its affairs in order before retiring," he said. With a report from Agence France-Presse