Actress Ruffa Gutierrez and her mother, Annabelle Rama, are more than welcome to join the campaign sorties of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) to show their support for former President Joseph Erap Estrada.

Margaux Salcedo, spokesperson of Estrada, said the camp of the deposed president will be honored to have both TV-movie personalities in their provincial campaigns, which will give a boost to their sorties in far-flung areas.

If Ruffa comes around to extending her support to former President Estrada, she is more than welcome. The Gutierrezes and the Estradas have a long history as family friends because of their both being in the showbusiness, she said.

On our part, we only have respect and admiration for Ms. Ruffa Gutierrez in the quiet dignity she has shown through this very public squabble, the spokesperson added.

Salcedo issued the statement in an apparent attempt to counter efforts of PMP s close presidential rival, the Liberal Party’s (LP) Sen. Benigno Noynoy Aquino III, whose sister, TV host Kris Aquino, recently joined sorties to intensify the senator s campaign in the provinces.

Gutierrez, who has been open in endorsing Estrada’s reelection like her father actor Eddie Gutierrez, walked out on co-host Aquino in a showbiz talk show last week.

Rama immediately issued statements calling on the public not to vote for Senator Aquino in May 10 polls because of his sister rudeness.

However, Estrada clarified that he has no plans of fuelling the fire between Gutierrez and Aquino by calling on the mother and daughter to join the pool of celebrities endorsing him including singer Rico J. Puno, actors Eddie Garcia, Lorna Tolentino, and Tirso Cruz III.

“No, I don’t want to join a ladies fight. I m out of the picture,” Estrada, a box office actor himself, told reporters, noting that he does not need to associate himself with big celebrities to intensify his bid for presidential reelection in the May elections.

The former president explained that TV and movie personalities joining his entourage like actor Rez Cortez, and comedienne Marissa Sanchez, Tia Pusit, and Inday Garutay believe in his causes and are all volunteers.