Former President Joseph Estrada will hold his proclamation rally this afternoon at Plaza Miranda in Quiapo to signal the start of his official presidential campaign seeking to continue his poverty alleviation program for the poor, and to declare former Manila mayor Joselito “Lito” Atienza as candidate for the mayoral race in Manila under his Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) banner.

Tuesday night’s crowd is expected to duplicate the big throngs mobbing Estrada everywhere in his provincial visits to thank the masses for their continued support and confidence in the almost seven years he was in jail as a political detainee.

Estrada remains to be the only presidential candidate whose strong presence and incredible power of drawing crowds continue to be a problem hounding political strategists of rival candidates.

Motorists are advised to avoid the Quezon Blvd.- Quiapo district in Manila beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday to steer clear of the anticipated traffic with the huge gathering expected to attend Tuesday night's proclamation rally.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Senate President Protempore Jinggoy Estrada will lead the senatorial candidates to join Estrada on stage.

Estrada had chosen Plaza Miranda in Quiapo, Manila as the ideal stage to hold his proclamation rally, having been born in Tondo, and the place where his father, the late Emilio Ejercito, Sr. served as head of the Sanitation Department of the City of Manila.

“Plaza Miranda has become the heart of the nation’s political life that accounts for some of the harsh realities in our history,” Estrada said.

The late President Ramon Magsaysay, when confronted on controversial issues during his watch, always asked: “Can we defend those in Plaza Miranda because if you can defend it there, you can defend it anywhere.”

According to Atienza, Tuesday’s rally will serve as the initial salvo for the popular opposition leader’s economic platform for the masses focused on poverty alleviation to carry on Estrada’s abbreviated pro-poor programs with food security as his focal point.