Did Erap came up with the Senatorial list out of pique?

Nagtataka si Ellen Tordesillas sa behavior ni Erap when he came up with his senatorial list with balimbings Recto and Sen. Noted.

Ang isa sa dahilan kung bakit nanatili si Gloria Arroyo sa Malacañang kahit marami ang galit sa kanya ay dahil palpak naman ang oposisyon. Lalo na itong si dating Pangulong Joseph Estrada.

Noong isang linggo, nagpalabas ang kanyang abogado na si Rufus Rodriguez ng listahan mga senatorial candidates na susuportahan ni Estrada sa eleksyon sa Mayo 2007. Kasama doon sa listahan niya sina Manny Villar, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan at Ralph Recto.

Hindi pa naman nakalimutan ng madla na si Villar ang nag-short cut ng impeachment process laban kay Estrada noong 2000 nang siya ay speaker ng House of Representatives.

Hindi pa rin natin makalimutan ang “Noted. Noted” ni Pangilinan noong congressional canvassing ng 2004 election returns. Tuwing ituturo ng oposisyon na sina Sen. Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel, Sen. Tessie Aquino-Oreta, at Sen. Serge Osmeña ang mga kaso ng dayaan, sasabihin lamang ni Pangilinan at ni Raul Gozales na noong ay congressman na “Noted”, sabay pa ang pukpok nga gavel.

Sabi nga ni Tessie Oreta noon, “Ano ang ibig sabihin ng “Noted”? Ano ang gagawin mo sa ipinapakita naming kasong pandaraya?”. Ah, basta “Noted” lang ang sagot ni Pangilinan.

Kaya na-proklama si Arroyo habang tulog ang taumbayan dahil sa “Noted, Noted” nina Pangilinan at Gonzales.

I agree with Ellen that it's not smart for erap to come up with a Senatorial list this early with names like Recto and Noted Pangilinan.

Siguro Erap felt slighted when Lacson said opposition members do not need Erap's blessing to be included in the Opposition Senatorial lineup.

So Erap went ahead and prematurely put out his own list of "Opposition" Senatorial candidates for the 2007 elections without Lacson's name in it.

The now detained Estrada himself yesterday bared an evidently powerhouse senatorial line-up for next year’s elections that is composed of the big guns of major

opposition parties but the shortlist also includes the names of politicians who figured prominently in what is widely seen as his illegal ouster more than five years ago.

The ousted leader, during an interview with broadcast journalist and former congressman Ted Failon yesterday over radio station dzMM, named the opposition’s senatorial candidates for the 2007 polls: Representatives Alan Peter Cayetano (Taguig-Pateros) and Francis Escudero (Sorsogon); Former Senators Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, Loren Legarda, Teresa Aquino-Oreta, John Osmena and Vicente “Tito” Sotto III; San Juan Mayor Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito; re-electionist Senators Francis Pangilinan, Ralph Recto and Manuel Villar; and lawyer Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel.

More here:

When asked by Failon why some of his known political detractors were included in the line-up, the deposed leader replied, “Matagal ko na silang napatawad.” (I have long forgiven them.)

Estrada explained that he has “set aside his own feelings in consideration of the greater welfare of the country and people to unite the opposition and help them win to put an end to the reign of the Arroyo administration.”

....

He confirmed that JV, instead of his wife, Sen. Luisa “Loi” Ejercito Estrada, will run for the Senate.

.....

When Failon inquired as to why reelectionist Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson was dropped from the original list, Estrada said Lacson does not have a political party and although he claimed to lead the LDP-Lacson wing, the opposition’s unity group only recognized the LDP-Angara wing.

So Erap still supports Angara? Kaya hindi kasali si Lacson sa opposition slate? Hindi ba maka-administration na yang Angara (at yang Enrile) na yan? I'm sorry, but this is way dumb.