Former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada has underscored the importance of Church endorsement for those seeking elective positions.

But no matter how vital such endorsement is, Estrada reminded religious leaders about the separation of the Church and the State.

The Church should learn how to follow whoever is in charge of the State, said Estrada, who attributes  his rise and fall in politics and public service to the Catholic Church.

“They (Catholic Church) should follow that there is one person in charge of the State,” Estrada told the Manila Bulletin in an earlier interview.

Estrada, who was egged on by the Church to run for mayor in San Juan in 1967, explained that while every presidential bet seeks the endorsement of religious groups, they should be reminded about the separation of the Church and the State.

The former action movie superstar, who reached the peak of his political career when he won the 1998 presidential elections with a margin of 11 million votes, noted that the Church should never impose on the affairs of State.

“Just as the State should not interfere in affairs of the Church, neither should the Church impose on the affairs of the State,” explained Estrada, who was ousted through a peaceful people power revolution led by the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin.

But this does not mean that the former leader does not respect any endorsement coming from the Church or any other religious or spiritual group, which he said would boost any bet’s bid during the campaign season as part of the “spirit of democracy.”

“Of course, if you are running for any position, you need the support of everybody except those people who are menace to the society like drug lords, and rebels,” Estrada said.

“Every candidate needs that (kind of support) to ensure victory… Everyone goes to them, I go to them and if we are chosen, that is something to be really thankful for,” he added.

Estrada, who was fortunate to receive the endorsement of religious group El Shaddai in 1998, still hopes to regain the same support from its spiritual leader Bro. Mike Velarde that would help him return to Malacañang Palace.

The standard-bearer of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), who may be endorsed by the influential Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), is also counting on the support of Davao City-based the Kingdom of Jesus Christ led by Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.

As this developed, the PMP said Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is the candidate of the elite while former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada is the bet of the masses.

Estrada’s party Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) in a statement said “the raging ‘sticker wars’ was the best way to illustrate the extreme and suspicious closeness of Aquino to the country’s elite.”

PMP director Wilson Agbayani pointed out how Aquino’s yellow ribbon stickers are plastered on expensive cars and SUVs, while stickers associated with Estrada are conspicuously posted on passenger jeepneys, tricycles, and ‘padyaks’ (pedicabs).

“That’s where you’ll see where a candidate’s support comes from and whom he supports,” said Agbayani who is in charge of marshalling all of the party’s volunteers and coordinators in Metro Manila.

PMP spokesman lawyer Ralph Calinisan said “this proves that Aquino’s most ardent supporters belong to the landed and influential classes while President Estrada’s supporters are mostly from the D & E social strata.”

In an interview with reporters in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga Friday however, Estrada said he would rather ask what Aquino’s plans for the country rather than engage him in a tussle about “personal issues.” (With a report by JC Bello Ruiz)