Erap tops El Shaddai ‘polls’

By RIO ROSE RIBAYA, BRENDA PIQUERO
May 8, 2010, 9:49pm








Original Story: http://mb.com.ph/articles/256584/erap-tops-el-shaddai-polls


Former President Joseph Ejercito “Erap” Estrada, standard-bearer of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), emerged winner in the mock presidential elections conducted among members of the influential religious group El Shaddai, boosting his chances of winning the May 10, 2010 elections.

Mel Robles, former spokesman of Bro. Mike Velarde, released last night the results of the group’s mock polls held last May 1.

Robles said that in the vice presidential race, Estrada’s running mate, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, was the runaway winner in the same mock polls.

Robles, the current chairman of El-Shaddai-affiliated Buhay party-list, disclosed that 520 of the 2,105 respondents cast their votes for Estrada. At second was Nacionalista Party (NP) presidential candidate Sen. Manny Villar, who got 453 votes.

Running third was Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Sen. Benigno Aquino III, who got 263 votes while Lakas-Kampi-CMD candidate former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro garnered 65 votes.

In the vice presidential race, Binay got 858 votes. He was followed by LP rival Mar Roxas with 284 votes, and Villar’s running mate, Sen. Loren Legarda, who got 204 votes.

Estrada and Binay’s victory in the El Shaddai mock elections is expected to carry a huge bandwagon effect among voters from the D and E economic classes, estimated to be 70 to 75 percent of the nation’s population.

Political analysts claimed that the El Shaddai mock elections carry very significant and serious implications, coming just a few hours to the May 10 elections. The religious group enjoys a following of up to 5 million voters.

“The homestretch battle for the presidency is now clearly defined to be waged between Estrada and Aquino, with Erap having a slight edge because of his massive support from the D, and E economic classes against the A and B elite groups of Aquino,” a respected political analyst told the Manila Bulletin.

Estrada thanked El Shaddai for their confidence in him.

“I am most humbled by your decision to support me and Jojo Binay, and as you have never abandoned me, I will never turn my back on you and the great number of people living below the poverty line for whom I have struggled to lead a better future all throughout my public career,” Estrada said.


Original Story: http://mb.com.ph/articles/256584/erap-tops-el-shaddai-polls