Erap on survey: I shouldn't be 3rd, FVR gov't more corrupt

Former President Joseph Estrada on Wednesday complained about the results of a survey conducted by Pulse Asia, wherein respondents perceived that he was the third most corrupt president of the five chief executives since the Marcos administration. In an interview with radio dZBB, Estrada said the Ramos administration should be third, and his administration should only be in fourth place. "Nakakalungkot...Bakit ako pangatlo? Siguro dapat pang-apat (It's sad...Why am I on third place? I think I should only be on fourth place)," Estrada said. He said the Ramos administration was more corrupt because it was during Fidel Ramos's term when government assets were sold and privatized. Estrada said that it was during Ramos's time, when then Senator Ernesto Maceda said that the PEA-Amari deal was the "grandmother of all scams." The ousted leaders also said that it was during the Ramos administration that the National Steel Mills, Fort Bonifacio, and the Alabang Stock Farm were sold. "Kaya pati pako ini-import na natin ngayon (That's why even the nails that we use are now being imported)," he said. Proceeds from the sale of Fort Bonifacio was not fully utilized for the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines according to Estrada. Estrada likewise hit Ramos for entering into agreements with independent power producers. He said this was partly the reason why power rates continue to increase. The Pulse Asia survey, conducted from October 20 to 31, showed that Estrada, who was ousted in January 2001 through a popular revolt was third with 16 percent, followed by Fidel Ramos, the country’s 12th president, with 5 percent. Forty two percent of the 1,200 respondents thought that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was the “most corrupt," while former President Corazon Aquino was the least corrupt with only 1 percent of respondents thinking that she engaged in shady deals during her term. - GMANews.TV