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Manila Bulletin

Philippines

Ex-president Estrada still alive, sons clarify

Philippines

Ex-president Estrada still alive, sons clarify

By Jel Santos

Former president and Manila mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada is still alive, his sons clarified on Sunday afternoon (April 4).

Former President and Manila mayor Joseph "Erap" Estrada (Photo by Linus Escandor/ MANILA BULLETIN/ FILE PHOTO)

This was after rumors circulated on social media that the former president has succumbed to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

“There are reports circulating on FB (Facebook) that my father has passed away. This is NOT true,” former senator Jinggoy Estrada said on his Facebook account.

Also, his brother former senator JV Estrada bellied the erroneous reports saying that their father died.

“He is still in the hospital recuperating… Whoever is behind this fake news is so unchristian. You do not wish bad things to anyone, no matter of you don’t like the person,” he posted on Twitter.

On March 28, the 83-year-old former president was rushed to the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City because he was feeling weak.

It was then learned that he was positive for COVID-19 after the result of his RT-PCR test came out.

The Estrada patriarch was the country’s 13th president and served from 1998 to 2001. Prior to this, he was a long-time mayor in San Juan City, senator, and vice president.

From 2013 to 2019, he served as mayor of Manila.

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