Ousted President Joseph Estrada might run in the 2010 presidential elections as the opposition’s “last option” if there is no strong standard-bearer.

Speaking before his supporters in Laguna on Saturday, Estrada said that he will throw his hat in the ring for the 2010 elections if the opposition runs out of new and strong candidates for president.

“I might run (for president) if I will see that the opposition has no winnable presidential candidate in 2010,” he said.

“But as I can see, the opposition has a deep bench. We have many strong presidential contenders.”

Former Senate president Ernesto Maceda, a member of the United Opposition’s (UNO) committee of elders, said they are eyeing to field Estrada’s son, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay as possible presidential and vice presidential candidates in 2010.

“We are asking Jinggoy and Mayor Binay to talk and decide by themselves who among them will run for president and vice president in 2010,” he told a crowd in Vitas, Tondo in Manila.

Estrada said 2010 is “still very far,” although he already declared during a rally in Tondo that he would no longer run for president.

“It will depend on how things will be (by 2010),” he said.

“But in the meantime, now that I am already released from jail, I will dedicate my time to helping our poor countrymen.”

“History will be kind to me and it will vindicate me. God has his own purpose and what happened to me were mere trials.”

Estrada said he does not want to commit a mistake in picking this early the presidential candidate that he will endorse as the opposition standard-bearer.

“I don’t want the poor Filipinos to blame me for endorsing the wrong candidate,” he said.

“We will see who among them (presidentiables) are true pro-masses and pro-poor. They are all qualified and good.”

Estrada said he would be able to make a good choice six months before the 2010 presidential elections.

Senators Panfilo  Lacson, Manuel Roxas II and Loren Legarda, and Senate President Manuel Villar Jr., are being considered as probable presidential candidates of the opposition, he added. – Jose Rodel