Erap’s 3 birthday wishes

FORMER President and Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada is turns 78 years old today and he has three wishes for his birthday.

First, Estrada wishes his former nemesis, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, would be granted her appeal to be detained at her house in Quezon City while she is being tried for plunder by the Sandiganbayan because of her frail health.

“I think former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is not a flight risk,” said Estrada, who was himself detained from 2001 to 2007 while he was being tried for plunder by the Sandiganbayan when Arroyo was president.

The Sandiganbayan later convicted Estrada to 40 years in prison, but Arroyo issued a presidential pardon.

“She is a woman with failing health, and I wish the court will give her a little comfort through house arrest,” Estrada said.

Arroyo, who is now a Pampanga congresswoman, was also charged with plunder before the Sandiganbayan which order her detention at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center because of her frail health.

For his second wish, Estrada said he wished for security in Mindanao and peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front against which he ordered an “all-out war” in 2000 which resulted in the capture of MILF stronghold called Camp Abubakar.

“I wish to see a united and progressive country under one flag, one Constitution, and one democratic Republic,” he said.

Finally, Estrada’s last wish was for the City of Manila.

“Manila is my city of birth, where my career in the movies and in politics started and prospered. I wish to see Manila regain its stature as the premiere city of the country, with disciplined residents and progressive business climate.”

Estrada earlier said he already wants to retire but feels that the residents of Manila still need him and he was thus planning to seek reelection in 2016.