Former senator Jiggoy Estrada will rival his half-brother Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito again for the same position in the 2022 national elections.
Estrada finalized his senatorial bid on October 3, a day after Ejercito filed his certificate of candidacy at the Sofitel Hotel in Pasay City on October 2.
The former lawmaker is running under the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, the same political party of former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada.
Ejercito, meanwhile, is gunning for the Senate seat again under the Nationalist People’s Coalition.
Both of them did not secure a seat in the upper house in the 2019 mid-term polls.
In a brief talk with reporters following the filing, Estrada explained why he thinks he should again become a senator. “Sa tingin ko mas makatutulong ako nationwide. Mas gusto nating tumulong sa mas marami,” he was quoted as saying.
In his announcement of his senatorial bid, Estrada acknowledged he is again attempting to run alongside his brother.
“Ang panalangin ko na lang ay manalo kaming dalawa, sapagkat ang dugong nanalaytay sa’min ay paglilingkod ng tapat sa bayan,” Estrada said.
He did not mention that he and Ejercito may be sharing the same voter base loyal to their father, disgraced president Joseph Ejercito Estrada. This could make it difficult for either one to secure a position.
“Ako naman bilang nakakatandang kapatid syempre gusto ko rin manalo ang aking nakababatang kapatid,” Estrada said.
Ejercito, meanwhile, told reporters that he was motivated to join the senatorial race again after he was tapped by other aspirants to join their lineup.
“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 on Twitter also expressed his intention to improve the country’s health care system should he win.
“Sa tulong ninyong lahat ay mababalikan natin ang mga trabahong aking nabinbin, lalong lalo na ang isang maayos na health care system lalo ngayong panahon pandemya,” he wrote.
Pormal na po akong naghain ng Certificate of Candidacy sa pagka senador sa tanggapan ng Comelec.
Sa tulong ninyong lahat ay mababalikan natin ang mga trabahong aking nabinbin, lalong lalo na ang isang maayos na health care system lalo ngayong panahon Pandemya. #JVisTheGoodOne pic.twitter.com/0pqPu8t9s9
— JV Ejercito (@jvejercito) October 2, 2021
Ejercito was at the 13th spot in the 12-member Senate circle during the 2019 elections, ahead of Estrada who placed 15th overall.
Political differences supposedly caused the long-running sibling rivalry of both sons of the 84-year-old former president.
Estrada’s mother is a physician and former senator Loi Estrada. The mother of Ejercito is former actress Guia Gomez.
In 2014, Ejercito was among the lawmakers who signed a 2014 Senate committee report against Bong Revilla, Juan Ponce Enrile and his half-brother for the misuse of government funds, thus fueling the animosity between them.
Estrada spent time in jail due to plunder charges involving the pork barrel scam.
He was released on bail in 2017. However, his plunder cases remain pending.