Liberal Party (LP) presidential bet Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III and Nacionalista Party (NP) standard bearer Sen. Manuel "Manny" Villar owe former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada an apology, supporters of the former president demanded Thursday.

San Juan Mayor JV Ejercito, vice president of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) in Luzon, said the leading presidential candidates should apologize to his father for their participation in EDSA People Power II, which brought President Arroyo to power in 2001.

"Manny Villar and Noynoy Aquino both want to avoid the alleged “kiss of death.” But before they deny connections with Mrs. Arroyo, they both need to apologize to the public and to President Erap for joining the coup in 2001," Ejercito said.

The city mayor added that Aquino and Villar's association with Mrs. Arroyo in 2001 do not make the leading presidential bets part of the true opposition, which has been led by Estrada even from behind bars from 2001 to 2007.

"Why don't they just admit that they both made a mistake when they unseated President Erap and put Mrs. Arroyo in power and that this is the real reason why the nation has allegedly suffered nine long years under the present administration?" he asked.

He also accused Villar, who was then the Speaker of the House, of railroading the impeachment against his father after signing the anti-Estrada complaint with Aquino that qualified as "public betrayal."

For his part, Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco added that Aquino and Villar should follow the late President Corazon "Cory" Aquino and Bangon Pilipinas vice presidential candidate Perfecto Yasay, who earlier issued a public apology to Estrada.

"However you put it, Aquino and Villar are not part of the true opposition. For nine years, President Erap served as the true leader of the opposition against the regime of Gloria," he said.