The more than 100,000 strong Pasang Masda jeep drivers’ transport group of Luzon and its affiliates from other regions declared Tuesday their nationwide support behind former President Joseph Estrada’s quest for a fresh mandate in the May 2010 presidential elections in a meeting they held with the popular opposition leader at the Nipa Hut in Pasig City Tuesday night.

Pasang Masda is an acronym of Pinagkaisahang Sangguniang Manila and Suburbs Drivers Association, the moderate transport group of jeep drivers moving daily hundreds of thousands of commuters to their places to and from work.

In throwing their support behind Estrada’s campaign for the top position of the land, the drivers virtually told Estrada he could count on them to help deliver the same number of votes they, together with millions of the nation’s poor, gave him in 1998 that sent him to Malacañang for a 6-year term that was cut short by the power-grab events of January 2001.

Speaking for the group in Pilipino, Pasang Masda chairman Ka Obet Martin told Estrada his pro-poor advocacy remains to be the driving force among jeep drivers to continue supporting him as they have done in all his past electoral races from Mayor, Senator, Vice President, and finally the Presidency.

Ka Obet told Estrada they will espouse his candidacy on the same anti-poverty platform as the standard bearer of Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), the political party Estrada founded when he ran for President in 1998.

Estrada’s anti-poverty platform has been the mark of his political career as a public servant since he was San Juan Mayor, Senator, Vice President, and finally as Commander-in-Chief.

“Erap’s continuing concern of the plight for the underprivileged and undiminished advocacy and concern for the masses makes him different from all the rest,” said the Pasang Masda head in the vernacular.

Other Pasang Masda members maintained they believe in Estrada’s consistent pro-poor concern which includes them as “lowly-jeep drivers” bereft of social benefits such as health care and life insurance.

“That commitment towards those who have less in life is a trait that cannot be taken away from Estrada,” they said in Pilipino.

At the same time during the same event, the drivers asked Estrada to be the honorary chairman for Pasang Masda.