FINE FORM. Former President Joseph Estrada displays fine athletic form as he leads hundreds of university students during the ceremonial run for the newly inaugurated track and field oval at the University of Makati

Showing their fitness and agility for the presidential and vice presidential race in 2010, former President Joseph Estrada and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay jogged a loop at the newly inaugurated track and field oval of the University of Makati Sunday morning.

Together with over 100 university students and officials, Estrada and Binay donned athletic outfits and led the ceremonial run of the 1.5-kilometer-long sports facility, which reportedly cost the Makati City government at least P28 million to build.

It took the duo at least five minutes of running with occasional stops but the 73-year-old Estrada, who had a total knee replacement surgery in 2005, and the 67-year-old Binay, who is fond of jogging in his neighborhood, was far from being exhausted when they finished.

While the ceremonial run signaled the opening of the facility for the use of students, athletes and city residents, it analogously personified Estrada’s and Binay’s bids for the two highest posts in the land.

The two opposition leaders will file their certificates of candidacy before the Commission on Elections on November 30.

“We chose November 30 because of its historical significance. As we all know, we will commemorate on that day the heroism of Andres Bonifacio, who is truly a hero of the masses,” Estrada said, adding that they will travel to the Comelec office in Intramuros from Luneta Park aboard the iconic “jeep ni Erap.”

Saying he is the most experienced and qualified of all presidential aspirants, Estrada expressed confidence that he will not be disqualified from seeking re-election.

“We are ready to face any attempt to disqualify me because justice is with us. I don’t like to think that I will be disqualified that is why I have no contingency plan. If that time comes when the Supreme Court rules, only then will I think about any plan,” he said.

The former President likewise said that he is not alarmed with how their tandem ranked in the recent pre-election surveys.

“We cannot rely on the surveys alone. The public remains unpredictable.

Only by February or March, when the public’s mindset of who to vote is formed, can we really say who our most formidable opponents are,” he said.

Although the United Opposition earlier announced that it will field a 12-man senatorial slate to back up the Estrada-Binay tandem, the former President disclosed that the lineup is yet to be filled.

But with the recent developments and the decision of former Senator Serge Osmeña III to quit the Liberal Party, Estrada said Osmeña is welcome to join UNO’s senatorial slate.

“We are inviting Senator Osmeña to join us even as a guest candidate. We would love to have a man of principle and unquestionable integrity in our slate,” he said.

Estrada confirmed that Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, Senator Miriam Santiago, whistleblower Jose de Venecia III, and the daughter of the late Fernando Poe, Jr., Grace Poe-Llamanzares, are in the senatorial slate of UNO.

Estrada at the same time lauded Binay’s political will for spearheading the establishment of an Olympic-sized track and field oval in a public university, saying the youth of Makati is very lucky for Binay’s support of the city’s education and sports programs.

“Ang proyektong ito ay nagpapakita lamang sa pag-iingat niya sa salapi ng lungsod. Bawat sentimo ay napupunta sa kapakanan ng mga residente ng Makati. Kung ganito sa Makati, sana nga ganito rin sa buong bansa,” Estrada told hundreds of university students.

UMak is the first local university to have its own track and field oval which conforms to international standards. The facility is seen as a venue for honing local athletes and for hosting national and international sporting events.

The track oval has eight lanes measuring 1.2 meters each, with a two-meter warm-up lane and a two-meter wide promenade. It also has a covered seating gallery, baseball/softball court, shot-put area, two long jump and triple jump areas, two hammer and discus throw areas, water jump area, pole vault area, and javelin throw area.

“There is no doubt. Mayor Binay is the greatest mayor Makati has ever had and the greatest mayor of the Philippines. Yung iba, nangangako pa lang, si Mayor Binay nagawa na,” he added.

In an interview, Binay said he would replicate what he did in Makati if he is elected vice president.