Former President Joseph Estrada told radio station DZRH Friday that Makati Mayor Jejomar C. Binay is “the most qualified” among the roster of potential presidential candidates for 2010.

The former president had earlier introduced Binay as the “next president of the Philippines ” in a speech he made in Compostela, Cebu . Estrada was joined in the Cebu sortie by Sen. Loren Legarda, Mrs. Gina de Venecia, Grace Poe, lawyer Adel Tamano, and Binay.

Estrada said he admired Binay for having successfully rebuilt Makati from a bankrupt municipality in 1986 to a modern city with admirable programs and services in education, health and for the elderly. He also said the mayor is a good executive, which is what the country would need.

“Mayor Binay is the most qualified among the list of presidential candidates in 2010,” he said.

Binay thanked Estrada for his statement, and said it is important for the opposition to sit down and discuss its plans for the 2010 elections.

“I am honored by the statement of president Erap. The most important thing for the opposition to do right now is to sit down and discuss our plans for 2010, and a summit of all genuine opposition parties should be considered,” he said.

Estrada’s statement came as respondents in a survey conducted by the University of the Philippines consider Makati ’s economic development and social programs under the administration of Binay as “desirable.”

In the UP survey, respondents identified Makati as Binay’s symbol and economic empowerment his advocacy. They found both symbol and advocacy as
“desirable.”

Binay welcomed the results of the survey.

“I find it encouraging that our people acknowledge the importance of a good track record as an executive, and recognize what we have done,” he said.

“If you consider the problems that Mrs. Arroyo will leave behind if and when she leaves office in 2010, we would need someone with executive capability, someone with experience in the public sector and in actual day-to-day governance,” he said.

Binay was among the top ten personalities whom the respondents listed as possible candidates for the 2010 elections. The respondents were also asked to rate each personality’s slogan, symbol and advocacy as either “desirable” or “undesirable.”

The symbols and advocacies of some personalities, although making it to the top, were ranked as undesirable by the respondents.

The survey was conducted among 681 respondents in Metro Manila, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite , Batangas, Quezon Bulacan, and Pampanga.

It was undertaken by students of Communication Research 165 from November to December 2008. Aside from the one-on-one interviews, 10 focus group discussions were conducted.