ZAMBOANGA CITY – "Noynoy-Binay" or "Erap-Loren"?

Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) standard bearer former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada on Wednesday night said his running mate Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay is not the only one being linked to other party's candidates but also himself.

Estrada was reacting to reports that Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero" is endorsing a Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III-Binay tandem instead of the Liberal Party's official team of Aquino and Senator Mar Roxas. Binay is said to be a close friend of the Aquinos, especially of the late President Corazon Aquino.

Estrada said there are also some sectors pushing for an Erap-Senator Loren Legarda tandem. It would be recalled that Legarda who is the running mate of Nacionalista Party (NP) standard-bearer Senator Manny Villar for the 2010 election was the running mate of Estrada's bosom buddy, the late Fernando Poe Jr. during the 2004 presidential race under the banner of the opposition party.

"These things happen. There are also those pushing for an Erap-Loren tandem," Estrada told newsmen covering his campaign.

He, however, stressed that the mix-up is usual during an election as some leaders have their own loyalties.

"It's minimal..negligible," Estrada said on the impact of such developments. "I've been in politics for 35 years. I'm already used to these tricks."

In a separate interview here, Binay said he and Escudero have been friends for a long time. He said he treats Escudero like his own son as he stood as sponsor during Escudero's wedding.

"We stood side by side with FPJ even up to the time of his death," Binay said as he stressed that Escudero's helping hand that he extends to LP is a big loss for the Aquino camp.

Binay said with all the support he has been getting lately, he is confident that he would win the vice-presidential race despite trailing Roxas and Legarda in the surveys one month before the election.