'Barack' of RP doesn't mind dark skin

Makati City Mayor Jejomar "Jojo" Binay definitely does not mind being likened to US president-elect Barack Obama, the "darkhorse" in the just-concluded presidential elections in the United States. And he takes no offense in having a dark complexion like the 44th US president, either.

"God gave me my color and I thank him for it," Binay, who has been called "Jobama" (Jojo Obama), told an interview on radio dzMM's Tuesday, his 66th birthday.

The Makati mayor's rejoinder came several hours after announcing his intention to run for president in 2010.

He chided Malacañang for criticizing his announcement at the Makati City Hall earlier in the day.

A Palace statement said that it is still too early for Binay to declare his candidacy amid reports that an unnamed presidential aspirant has hatched another plot to destablize the government.

But the Makati mayor turned the tables on Malacañang and said that it is he one who doing an early campaign for the presidential elections.

He also denied that he is the presidential aspirant being alluded to as the brains behind the new destabilization plot.

Binay likewise accused the Palace of launching diversionary tactic to shield the administration from the reopening of the Senate's investigation into the fertilizer fund scandal involving former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn "Jocjoc" Bolante.

Friends, Erap for Binay

Meanwhile, friends and family gathered to celebrated Binay's birthday on Tuesday night.

Among those who graced the party were Grace Poe, the daughter of the late actor and presidential candidate Fernando Poe, Jr., San Juan City Mayor Jose Victor "JV" Ejercito, actress Armida Siguion-Reyna and former vice-president Teofisto Guingona.

According to Grace Poe, she is willing and ready to campaign for Binay. She said that the mayor, who is also president of the United Opposition, is a close family friend.

The late actor's daughter added that she witnessed how Binay supporter her father during his presidential campaign against President Arroyo in 2004.

For her part, staunch administration critic Siguion-Reyna also said she supports Binay. The actress said that win or lose, it is still Binay for her though she admitted that she also has close ties with former president Joseph Estrada and Sen. Francis Escudero. Both the former president and the neophyte senator are among choices to be the opposition's candidate for the presidential elections, according to surveys.

Estrada, meanwhile, has said that he supports Binay's intention of running for president in 2010.

However, the former president clarified that it is still "too early to endorse anybody."

Estrada, the opposition's titular head, said he will review survey results of the opposition's "presidentiables" before deciding on whom to support.

According to Estrada spokeswoman Margaux Salcedo, the former president took note of Binay's statement that he will step down should the deposed leader run seek another term in Malacañang.

She, however, said that Estrada is not thinking about a return to Malacañang "at this point in time."