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Former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada faced one tough question
that he could not have encountered in his political career on
Friday: “Deal or No Deal?”
Estrada was Friday’s special guest of the ABS-CBN
network’s game show, Deal or No Deal, hosted by Kris Aquino. The
show resumed airing this week.
Aquino welcomed Estrada to the show, and
remembered to express her gratitude for food that he regularly sent
her mom, former President Corazon Aquino. As a token of her
appreciation, the amiable host gave Estrada a Philip Stein watch,
one of a host of products that she endorses.
At the start of the show, Estrada was made to
choose the one briefcase that he would hold on to for the rest of
the game. He then turned the moment into a search for the most
beauteous among the girls with the briefcases. “Sinong
pinakamaganda sa kanila? Puro maganda naman,” he said before
finally choosing Briefcase Number 3.
Wearing his trademark outfit—jacket and
signature white wristband—the former Chief Executive gamely
breezed through his first selection of six numbers, following the
game’s process of elimination. While he might have felt lucky, the
numbers didn’t indicate that much since the briefcases carrying
the coveted million pesos and P2 million were quickly eliminated in
the first round. The banker’s most generous offer was a measly
P13.
In the third round, Estrada’s grandchildren
joined him onstage with each of them choosing a briefcase number.
Jake, Janella, Julian and Jacob, and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada took their
turns, testing their luck.
Perhaps sensing the game was evidently not going
in his favor, Estrada asked if he could talk to the banker, which
was not allowed by the rules.
His plea was for a substantial amount as he
intended to donate to “Bantay Bata” and typhoon victims. The
banker’s response was an offer that amounted to P240,000, not
exactly as generous as he would have expected.
In the final round when only two briefcases were
left, Estrada had to choose whether to call a deal—where a deal
would have meant taking the banker’s offer of P275,000 in exchange
for his briefcase, which contained either P750 or P500,000. Erap
pushed his luck and he opted to play on. “No deal,” he said.
Tough luck, Estrada’s briefcase contained the
smaller amount.
If it were any consolation, Kris told Estrada
that her mother won P400.
In the end, the real winner was the show for
having the distinction of featuring two former presidents. Big deal.
-- Johanna M. Sampan
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