JV Ejercito tries again for the Senate
MANILA, Philippines — Former Sen. JV Ejercito filed his certificate of candidacy for senator under the Nationalist People’s Coalition before the Commission on Elections on Saturday, launching his second attempt for a seat in the upper chamber after a loss in 2019.
Addressing the media after filing his candidacy, Ejercito said he decided to run again despite the challenges that lie ahead because he wanted to oversee the implementation of the universal health care law and the law that created the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development.
Ejercito added that he was encouraged to run after being tapped by several presidential aspirants to join their Senate slate.
“If all the major parties, if all the major candidates want you in their lineup, that only means one thing: That they believe in my integrity, they believe in my performance and they believe in my character,” he said.
Ejercito narrowly missed a Senate seat in 2019, placing 13th outside of the 12-man winner’s circle, in a loss that he attributed to the fact that his stepbrother, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, was also running at the time.
The trouble for Ejercito is that Estrada plans to run again for senator in the 2022 elections.
“This will be a tough fight, this will be quite a challenge because of the circumstances. A lot of reelectionists. A lot of comebacking senators. I have my brother running also,” Ejercito said.
Prior to serving one term in the Senate from 2013 to 2019, Ejercito had been San Juan City’s representative from 2010 to 2013 and its mayor from 2001 to 2010.
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