Jinggoy inclined to run for senator in Eleksyon 2022

Former Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Wednesday said there is "strong possibility" that he will run for senator again in the 2022 elections.

“There is a strong possibility that I might run for the Senate again,” Estrada said in an ANC interview, adding he has “unfinished business” in the Senate.

Estrada said he will decide based on the results of 2022 election surveys “The survey shows, in Pulse Asia, I’m still in the winning circle,” he pointed out.

“So siguro ‘yun ang nagi-encourage sa akin. Siguro may tiwala pa rin sa akin ang tayong bayan and I still have a lot of unfinished business to do in the Senate,” he added.

(Maybe the survey is what will encourage me to run for Senate. I guess the public still trust me and I still have a lot of unfinished business in the Senate.)

In the Pulse Asia survey released last April, Estrada was one of the names that the participants said they will vote for a Senate seat if the May 2022 elections was held during the survey period.

Estrada expressed hope that the recent dismissal of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel scam cases against his close friend, Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., will help in the dismissal of his case and also his possible 2022 senatorial bid.

“Of course, that (dismissal) will boost my case before the Supreme Court and of course, if ever I decide to run for the Senate,” he said.

He said the cases against him and Revilla are “almost similar” that is why he is hoping for a similar result.

The former senator faces charges of plunder and 11 counts of graft for allegedly pocketing P183.8-million in kickbacks by allocating his PDAF to fake non-government organizations allegedly owned by Janet Lim Napoles, the scam's alleged mastermind.

“I am hoping that the SC will decide on my case before the elections or before filing. That is my prayer,” Estrada, son of former President Joseph Estrada, said.

He lamented that they were “demonized” and were treated as “scoundrels in the government” during the previous administration.

On the other hand, Estrada said he hopes he can meet his half-brother, former Senator JV Ejercito, to discuss their family’s plan for the 2022 elections.

He said it is better to have only one Estrada running for senator in the upcoming polls.

“Minsan nalilito ang mga botante kung sino sa aming dalawa. So siguro, it is high time to get to talk to each other and you know my dad is not getting younger anymore so gusto makita ng tatay ko na nagkakasundo kaming magkapatid,” he said.

(Sometimes, the voters are getting confused when choosing between the two of us. So maybe, it is high time to talk to each other. And you know, my dad is not getting any younger anymore so I think my father wants to see that we are in good terms.)

During the 2019 midterm elections, Estrada and then-reelectionist Ejercito ran for Senate but lost. Estrad landed on the 15th spot with over 11 million votes while Ejercito was on 13th spot with over 14 million votes.

Ejercito had blamed Jinggoy for his loss, saying his half-brother was the “biggest problem” in his 2019 senatorial bid. —KBK, GMA News