Former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada Thursday confirmed that a meeting between him and Liberal Party standard bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III has been scheduled next week in a bid to unify the opposition forces and come up with a single presidential bet for next year’s elections.

Estrada said he is still hoping that he will be able to convince the opposition leaders to unite before the May 2010 elections.

“I have a scheduled meeting with Sen. Noynoy Aquino next week. I am still hopeful that we will be able to unite the opposition,” the 72-year-old former president said.

Estrada earlier told ABS-CBN that he is willing to talk with Aquino, but not with the members of the Liberal Party (LP), whom he accused of being part of the group that ousted him. The former president’s statement was in response to the proposal of former Senate and LP President Franklin Drilon for other presidential aspirants to abandon their presidential bid in favor of Aquino.

Aside from Noynoy, Estrada said he is also eyeing talks with Sen. Manny Villar of the Nacionalista Party as well as Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero and Sen. Loren Legarda of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).

According to Estrada’s camp, Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay has been acting as Erap and Noynoy go-between in an attempt to unify their forces and come up with a common candidate for next year’s presidential derby.

Binay, who was a staunch supporter Noynoy’s late parents – former Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. and former President Corazon Aquino – has decided to forgo his presidential ambition after Noynoy was endorsed by the Liberal Party as their standard bearer next year.

As of Thursday, Estrada – leader of the Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) – said he was still “99.9” percent sure of gunning for the presidency next year.

He also emphasized that his team of legal luminaries led by former Chief Justice Andres Narvasa has given him the go signal to run for the presidency, claiming that there are no legal obstacles that would bar him to seek reelection in the May 2010 polls.

Earlier, Estrada expressed hesitation to hold talks with the camp of Noynoy since his supporters were mostly being led by members of the civil society who initiated his ouster.