With the vote of 11-3, Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada or simply known as Erap to his supporters secured his position in the government after the votes of the members of the Supreme Court (SC) favor to him. The case for disqualification was filled by Alicia Risos-Vidal, the lawyer of former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim who questioned the eligibility of Estrada to hold a position in government where as he was ousted in the position due to plunder and later pardoned by the former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
In an article of Manila Times posted last December 2014, it states that according to SC Associate Justice Marvic Leonen themagistrate who was designated to write the decision on the disqualification case filed against Estrada, believes that the former president should be ousted from his post. He was convinced Erap was convicted for plunder made him ineligible to run for public office, according to a highly reliable source at the High Court. Leonen explained in Manila Times that Estrada may receive pardon from Arroyo, the executive clemency is not absolute which means he is bared from any public position.
This was the argument in the petition against Estrada that the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) should prohibit him in seeking another political seat after having been convicted for plunder as president.
But earlier, Estrada received the good news including his supporters that he will remain in the position after SC junks the disqualification case against him.
Estrada runs for President last 2010 election whereas he ranks second in the presidential race next to President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. In an earlier interview with ABS-CBN News, Erap mentioned that he might run for re-election on 2016 if his Vice Mayor Isko Moreno decided to run for higher position. Rumors say that Moreno might run as a senator or congressman on the next election.
