Former Philippine Pres. Erap deliberately excluded from presidential debates, media forums

There appears to be a deliberate effort on the part of debate organizers and media to exclude former Presi-dent Joseph Estrada from participating in debates and television media forums.
This was evident in two instances where Estrada, as well as his known spokesmen, was excluded by these organizations from these forums, by not inviting him to participate, while making it appear that the former President has declined from joining in the debates.
In the most recent debate held in Ayala Alabang, where the participants invited were Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Sen. Be-nigno "Noynoy" Aquino, Nacionalista Party (NP) presidential candidate Sen. Manuel Villar, Lakas-Kampi-CMD bet former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and Bagongbayan standard-bearer Sen. Richard Gordon, Estrada was never issued an invitation by either GMA News or the chief organizer, reportedly the spouse of Jose Cuisia, former Central Bank governor and prior to his taking the chairmanship of the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), an open supporter of the candidacy of Aquino.

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Source:
"Erap deliberately excluded from debates, media forums." The Daily Tribune. 12 January 2010. http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20100112hed4.html

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