GORDON LAUGHS OFF ERAP'S THREAT TO RUN

Senator Richard Gordon yesterday laughed off the report that former President Joseph Estrada intends to run for president in 2010, saying that Estrada was prohibited from running for reelection under the Constitution.

However, Gordon added, if Estrada can run again for president, "then he should run just to test whether the Filipino people really wants change, or simply wants to be entertained."

During an interview over Radio Station DZBB, Gordon admitted that "I'm available to run for president and I've been thinking about it. I am no hypocrite." He added that ever since he entered public service as mayor of Olongapo, he had always wanted to serve the people by bringing them up the social and economic scale and not just make broken promises on which the people will rely.

On the subject of Estrada, Gordon said that it is the political opposition that should worry about his announced intention to run again for president.

"Surely, if Erap runs, that would divide the opposition, wouldn't it?" said Gordon. At the same time, Gordon said, if Erap is a candidate, the issues raised would be about his record as president, especially his conviction for plunder, and not that of the administration's presidential bet.

According to Gordon, it would be interesting to find out what the public's reaction might be to Erap's announcement that he would run anew for the presidency.

"For me," he said in Tagalog, "what is important is the reaction of the Filipinos nationally [to Erap's candidacy]. Although we pitied him when he was under detention [while on trial for plunder], we should first consider our sense of justice (katarungan ) before our sense of pity (awa)."

He added, "While we all condemn graft and corruption, this is the first time that a president in our country who has been sentenced [for corruption] but has not spent a single day in [state] prison, unlike in Korea, and other countries, because he was immediately released on pardon." Gordon was referring to two former presidents of Korea who spent time in jail after having been convicted of graft.

"Fortunately," Gordon said, "we have what is called a moral backbone, so that even if we like one person, even if he is our son or daughter, or friend, we should tell him that what he has done or is planning to do is not allowed."

On the issue of presidential reelection, Gordon, a lawyer, said that under the Constitution if a person has served as president for one term, he is no longer eligible to run for reelection.

It will be recalled that during a visit to Cebu recently, some Cebu politicians floated the idea of a tandem of Gordon and Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia for president and vice president, respectively, in the 2010 election.