CENTRAL LUZON OBSERVER

Former President Joseph Estrada was cheered and warmly welcomed when he went around last Thursday, February 18, 2010 in the vote-rich province of Nueva Ecija in his mission to re-take Malacañang.

A very convincing warm welcome that will likely guarantee another Estrada landslide win in Nueva Ecija like what he did in the 1998 presidential race.

Nueva Ecija today has no more well-entrenched political family that can carry any national candidates—the Josons—ousted in 2007 election is inclined to support the well-funded Nacionalista Party (NP) presidential bet Manuel Villar Jr., who also fashions himself as a pro-poor candidate.

Nueva Ecija 1st Dist. Rep. Eduardo Nonato Joson was reportedly declared that their family's local party, the Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija, has yet to endorse a presidential candidate, and that they are leaning toward Villar.

Estrada is not bothered by this development, what's more is that his other local leaders aside the Josons told him that they believe Novo Ecijanos will 100% vote for Erap the second time.

Estrada's entourage was observed by local political analyst avoiding the Josons in their Thursday sorties in Nueva Ecija, a province with 1.187 million registered voters as of March 2009.

Speculations were proven when the former president said there’s no reason for him to link up with the Josons after former Gov. Tomas Joson, who campaigned for him in 1998, with treachery went over to the side of President Arroyo in the 2004 presidential elections. Estrada’s best friend, actor Fernando Poe Jr., was running against Arroyo at the time.

““Me and FPJ are like brothers. ’Pag sinaktan mo siya, para mo na rin akong sinaktan (If you hurt him, it’s like hurting me, too),” Estrada said. ”

The Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) cannot count or expect from their only Novo Ecijano candidate to help them court voters for the former president. One of their guest senatorial candidates, JV Bautista of the group Sanlakas, although a native of Guimba town, he is not admired by Novo Ecijanos for being bigheaded and boorish attitude

The one that can help is Sen. Jinggoy Estrada’s chief of staff, Simeon Garcia, is a former representative of the 2nd district of Nueva Ecija.

While in the 4th district, PMP is fielding former Jaen Mayor Prospero Antonio Esquivel for congressman, against its long-time nemesis, the re-electionist Rep. Rodolfo Antonino uncle of Gen. Santos Rep. Antonino of Mindanao. 

Estrada believed that in spite of Tomas Josons’ support for Arroyo in 2004, his friend Poe still won in the province by a wide margin. Arroyo got 160, 438 votes, while Poe had 476,220 votes.

Estrada didn’t mention that in 2004, Gov. Tomas Joson’s brother, Vice Gov. Eduardo Joson IV, stood by Poe and acted as coordinator of the latter’s Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino while their other brother Rep. Edno Joson went all out for Sen. Ping Lacson and ran as its senatorial candidate.