JV Ejercito says Zamoras behind his cases before Sandiganbayan

Senator JV Ejercito on Thursday tagged the Zamora family of San Juan City as the ones behind the cases filed against him in connection with the supposed anomalous purchase of high-powered firearms in 2008.

In a chance interview with reporters, Ejercito said as early as 2013, San Juan City Rep. Ronnie Zamora, father of incumbent San Juan vice mayor Francisco Zamora, had been talking to several city officials allegedly to encourage them to pin the blame on him regarding the purchase of the high-powered firearms amounting to P2.1 million.

"Ang utos nila (Zamoras) noon, pinalalaglag ako. Noong magkakampi pa kami, tinawag na ni Ronnie Zamora lahat ng konsehal at ang gusto niyang mangyari ay ituro ako, na ako daw ang may kasalanan ng lahat," Ejercito told reporters after posting bail at the Sandiganbayan.

Ejercito added Ronnie and Francisco Zamora even organized a meeting with the city councilors in 2013 allegedly to urge them to testify that he pressured them to approve a city ordinance that paved way for the purchase the firearms.

"Nung magkakampi pa kami noong 2010, pinatawag na ng mag-ama yung mga konsehal. Sabi nila, 'Madali lang naman yan e, ituro niyo lang si JV na pinilit kayong ipasa yung ordinansa'," Ejercito said.

"Yun ang inutos nila, pero hindi naman sumunod [yung mga konsehal] sa utos nila," he added.

Asked by reporters on who he was referring to, Ejercito said: "Yung mag-amang Zamora, wala naman iba."

Ronnie to JV: Just face the charges

Meanwhile, in a text message to reporters, the older Zamora denied Ejercito’s allegation and urged the senator to just face the charges against him.

“First, my son, now running for Mayor against JV's mother, and who was a new councilor then, together with Councilor Bernardo, now running for Vice Mayor with my son against JV's niece, are also included in the second charge against JV. So how can we be behind these charges?” Zamora said.

Congressman Zamora was referring to councilor Rolando Bernardo, who is also named as Ejercito’s co-accused in the technical malversation case.

Bernardo is running for vice mayor in the upcoming elections going against Janella Ejercito, daughter of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Ejercito's half-brother.

“Second, JV should just answer these serious charges of graft and bid rigging, and not raise the red herring of local politics as a motive,” the older Zamora said.

"Third, JV has always been known in San Juan to be the least bright among the Estradas. He should not use every turn and every opportunity like this one to prove it," he added.

Ex-allies

The Ejercitos and the Zamoras used to be political allies in San Juan, until the younger Zamora decided to run for mayor of the city in the upcoming May 9 elections, going against Ejercito's mother, incumbent mayor Guia Gomez.

"Siguro connected ito sa local politics," Ejercito said, referring to his graft cases. "It is so coincidental that yung anak ni Mayor Guia ay may kaso."

Ejercito and several other former and incumbent officials of San Juan are facing graft and technical malversation cases before the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court.

Based on the information of the cases filed by the Office of the Ombudsman last week, Ejercito, son of former President and incumbent Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, conspired with San Juan City officials for the unlawful purchase of the firearms.

The Ombudsman said the money used for the purchase came from the city government’s calamity fund, despite the fact that there was no declaration of a state of calamity at that time.

The Ombudsman further alleged that the purchase was done in haste without competitive bidding and examination of the supplier's qualifications.

Coincidentally, Francisco Zamora, together with former vice-mayor Leonardo Celles and 12 other former councilors were named as Ejercito’s co-accused in the technical malversation case.

The younger Zamora was a councilor when the crime was allegedly committed.

Meanwhile, named as Ejercito’s co-accused in the graft case were five former members of the city government’s Bids and Awards Committee.

On Thursday morning, Ejercito and his five co-accused in the graft case each posted P30,000 bail bond before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division in exchange for their provisional liberty.

JV confident cases will be dismissed

After posting his bail, Ejercito told reporters that he is confident that the cases against him would be dismissed by the court.

"I trust the court. If we will just look into the merits of the case, I am very, very confident that these cases will be dismissed," Ejercito said.

Ejercito, meanwhile, defended his decision to purchase the firearms during his term as mayor, saying that the situation at that time "calls for it."

"I feel that the situation calls for it. As mayor, at that time, peace and order [in San Juan] was really bad, 'yun lang. Kung gusto nila akong makulong dahil prinoteksyunan ko ang aking mga constituents, so be it," Ejercito said.

He, however, maintained that there was nothing irregular with the purchase of the questioned items.

"I've been in politics for 15 years now, wala akong kaso kailanman kahit ako ay nasa oposisyon," he said. "Sabi ko nga, hindi ko sisirain ang pangalan ko sa dalawang milyon or any amount for that matter." —KBK, GMA News