JV Ejercito: It was Angara that kept Erap from FPJ during 2004 campaign

The son of former President Joseph Estrada on Friday said it was former Sen. Edgardo Angara who kept the late Fernando Poe Jr. away from the former Chief Executive during the 2004 presidential elections.

Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito belied Angara's claim in his recently-launched biography, “In the Grand Manner.”

“FPJ (Poe's initials) was actually more concerned about his public image than Erap was. Erap was all out for FPJ, but FPJ privately preferred not to be associated with Erap if he was going to run for President, because he didn't want the public to think again of the entertainer as a frivolous figure,” Angara was quoted in the book.

But Sen. Vicente Sotto III, Poe's personal campaign manager in the 2004 elections, said Angara's account in his book was "accurate to a certain extent."

He, however, opted not to go into detail.

"I'd rather not elaborate because I do not want to step on a foot or two," Sotto said in a text message.

Ejercito said it was Angara and others who “tried to cordon FPJ off from others including President Erap and we did feel that.”

"It was not FPJ who distanced himself from President Erap, it was a bunch of politicians who cordoned him," Ejercito said.

Ejercito said Angara and the others running the campaign still relied on Estrada's Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP)  “because they didn't have the machinery in the first place.”

“It is true, Angara and other politicians formed a cordon sanitaire on FPJ. Thye wanted to leave everyone especially the close ones out. I was a witness during the last few days of the campaign, FPJ hugged me and told me, 'It was Erap who is moving in the campaign',” Ejercito recalled.

Poe ran for president in 2004 under the opposition Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino but lost to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Angara was then the chairman of the KNP executive council.

Angara was Estrada's running mate in the 1998 presidential elections. He lost to then-Sen. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Estrada, who won the presidential race, appointed Angara as chairman of the Board of Directors of the Philippine National Bank. Angara also served as Agriculture secretary and executive secretary under the Estrada administration.

Angara was quoted in the book as saying that it was recommended that then-Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay to be KNP's general campaign manager to help Poe open up and change his attitude to win the media and other politicians.

He said Poe used to disdain talking to politicians and giving interviews to the media, especially after an incident in which he scolded GMA News reporter Sandra Aguinaldo who was doing a report while he was giving a speech on the stage.

Sotto, on the other hand, was Poe's personal campaign manager while then Sorsogon Rep. Francis Escudero was also tapped to be Poe's spokesperson.

Binay and Escudero have yet to comment on the matter. -NB, GMA News