Arroyo's party in discord over courting of ousted president

Divisions within the political party of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo deepened yesterday, with its main spokesman warning that a strategy of appeasing supporters of ousted president Joseph 'Erap' Estrada would backfire.

'They think they cannot survive unless they get into bed with the Erap forces,' Lakas party spokesman Hererson Alvarez told the Post, adding the tactic would further undermine her already weakened support in the run-up to this year's elections.

'We have turned around party principles for expediency, and that will turn public opinion against us.'

Mr Alvarez, who spearheaded the impeachment campaign that led to Estrada's ouster, criticised Mrs Arroyo's 'all out embrace of the disgraced president', who is facing trial on charges of plundering the nation's wealth.

Specifically, he identified what he called the 'excessive accommodation' being accorded Estrada, such as allowing him to travel to the US for medical treatment and the drafting of pro-Estrada figures to run for the Senate on the Lakas ticket.

Yesterday, former senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago officially joined the Lakas Senate slate after obtaining permission from Estrada. Earlier, pro-Estrada senator John Osmena also jumped on the Lakas bandwagon after extracting a promise from Mrs Arroyo that the government would 'stop persecuting Erap'.