Erap on ice bucket challenge: ‘Palabas lang 'yan’

Former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada on Tuesday declined to participate in the wildly successful ice bucket challenge, which seeks to raise awareness for ALS or Lou Gherig's disease.

Instead, Estrada, the incumbent mayor of Manila, said he will just continue to donate to his chosen charities.

"I don't have to do that," Estrada said in a chance interview with reporters following a break in the bail hearing of his son Senator Jinggoy Eatrada, who is facing plunder and graft charges before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the alleged pork barrel scam.

The elder Estrada, whose presidency was cut short in 2001 due to a popular uprising following accusations of corruption, was himself convicted of plunder but was later on pardoned.

Despite the conviction, Estrada maintains that he has no ill-gotten wealth, adding that his charitable activities even led to his downfall.

"Nagdo-donate ako ever since. May scholarship ako ever since. Up to now. In fact nakulong ako dahil sa pag tulong--nilagay ko yung pera sa scholarship foundation and I didn't benefit from it," he said.

Still, Estrada said he would rather not do the ice bucket challenge since it was more for show.

"Yang challenge, palabas lang yan. Show off lang yan. Marami akong charity. You don't have to tell people about that. Kung tutulong ako, di ko na kailangan sabihin. Di pakitang tao. I have done it silently," he said.

The ALS ice bucket challenge is meant to raise funds and awareness for a little-known but debilitating degenerative disease. Both local and international personalities have taken to social media to challenge each other to donate to the foundation that facilitates research for a cure. —KBK, GMA News