SC denies it has ruled on Erap case

MANILA - The Supreme Court has yet to study thoroughly the disqualification case of former President and Manila Mayor-elect Joseph Estrada.

A justice of the high court denied a rumor that they have already disqualified Estrada from his newly won seat.

The high court recently received a comment from the camp of Estrada. In the comment, the camp of the former president said he has the right to run for public office despite the conditional pardon given him by his predecessor in 2007.

The high court earlier ordered Estrada to comment on the case filed by lawyer Alicia Vidal questioning his candidacy for Manila mayor.

Vidal said the pardon had a "whereas" clause that he is barred from seeking public office following his conviction for plunder in 2007.

"Petitioner's motion for reconsideration failed to present new or substantial arguments which have not been presented in her prior submissions," the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ruled, however.

The former Philippine president, ousted from power in 2001 after an uprising triggered by allegations of corruption, got 343,993 votes for Manila mayor.

His rival, outgoing Mayor Alfredo Lim, received 308,544 votes for a margin of 35,449.

Estrada moved his residence to Manila last year, after serving for nearly 2 decades as mayor of San Juan and later serving as senator, vice-president and president.

He came second in the 2010 presidential race.