Brothers in clash for Senate role in mid-term election

Incumbent Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito yesterday said he would slug it out with his half-brother and former senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada for a Senate seat in the 2019 mid-term elections.

JV, son of former president Joseph “Erap” Estrada with Guia Gomez, previously announced that he would give way to Jinggoy, Erap’s son with Dr Luisa “Loi” Ejercito Estrada, in the race for senators in next year’s polls. He explained that it was time to stand up to “bullying” from his family and fight for his own beliefs and that he joined the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) — leaving his father’s political party Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) — to proclaim his independence from the clan.

Erap, incumbent mayor of Manila, was reportedly disheartened to learn of JV’s transfer to the NPC.

“I had always been the one who gave way. They would understand me. Even if I was always bullied, it was all fine with me. But I now have to stand for my principles,” JV said in a radio interview.

The re-electionist senator added that he is eyeing a dialogue with his father as he wants to use the surname “Estrada” in the ballots and to settle the disputes between him and Jinggoy, whom he blamed for his sharp drop in the September 2018 Pulse Asia survey for wannabe senators.

JV said he would file his certificate of candidacy either tomorrow or Tuesday at the Commission on Elections office in Intramuros, Manila.