ShareThisMANILA – Former President Joseph Estrada congratulated President Benigno S. Aquino III on his first year as president and called on the Filipino citizenry to rally behind their leader as the country marches its way towards change.
Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito with his father, former president Joseph Estrada attend the SONA.
In a statement, the former leader, who is dead set to run for mayor of Manila in the 2013 local elections, said he believes that President Aquino is on the right path in focusing on restoring people’s faith in their government.
Estrada, who finished a strong second to Aquino in the last elections, said the public must give President Aquino more time in restoring faith in government because of the immeasurable and insurmountable acts of corruption of the past administration.
“In fact, the last decade can be called the ‘Lost Decade or the Stolen Decade in Philippine history’ because reports are glaring na hindi lang ang pagka-pangulo ko ang ninakaw; pati ang boto ng masang Pilipino nung 2004 ninakaw, ang Fertilizer Fund ninakaw, kung hindi napigilan ng Korte Suprema pati ang Mindanao muntik nang manakaw,” Estrada said.
The past administration is not only responsible for those abuses but all those who joined in the grand conspiracy to rob the nation and suppress the will of the Filipino people, Estrada said.
Estrada also congratulated Justice Conchita Carpio Morales on her appointment as the Ombudsman replacing Merceditas Gutierrez. Estrada said he hopes the new Ombudsman will be instrumental in correcting the nation’s history.
While the Aquino leadership eliminates corruption, it must also empower Filipino citizens through nation-building, Estrada said hoping that in the second year of the President there will be more gains in peace and order, food security and social services, as well as education.
“On our part as citizens, let us just help PNoy; let that be our way of honoring the memory of President Cory. Mag-bayanihan tayo because as Filipinos we all have a role to play in nation-building. Gaya nga ng parati kong sinasabi, walang tutulong sa Pilipino kung hindi ang kapwa Pilipino,” Estrada stessed.
The President delivered his second SONA on Monday at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City during the Joint Session of the 15th Congress