Senator JV: No ‘support’ from father Erap in my Senate bid just yet

Senator JV Ejercito has yet to get ‘support’ from his father, former President and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, for the senator’s reelection bid in the May 2019 midterm polls.

Ejercito admitted that he has yet to sit down with his father to talk things over since he left his father’s political party, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) and transferred to the Nationalist People’s Coalition in October 2018.

“None yet, at the moment,” Ejercito said when asked of the support that his father has given him almost one month into the campaign.

Ejercito earlier said that he left PMP because he believes that he and his brother running for the 2019 Senate race and under the same political party won’t sit well on voters.

Brother Jinggoy Estrada is eyeing a Senate comeback in the May polls. 

Ejercito had also lamented that the situation of them brothers running for the same position is confusing the public, to his disadvantage.

True enough, Ejercito is lagging behind Jinggoy in pre-election polls, with the latter landing in the top 12 or the winners circle, with the former settling between 13th to 16th place.

Still, JV is convinced that his father will throw in support because he never let the Estrada patriarch down.

“I hope, sana [suportahan niya ako]. Nag-deliver naman ako, at wala akong dapat ikahiya with what I have contributed [during my Senate stint],” JV said, referring to his pet bills Universal Healthcare and Department of Human Settlements that were both signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Hindi ko po pinuputol ang aking pagiging anak. His support will be very, very welcome,” JV added.

While he has yet to secure his father’s support, JV said he fully supports the reelection bid of Estrada in Manila.

“Of course, I support him I drop by whenever I am in Manila. Hindi ako nakakalimot saan ako nanggaling, especially concerning my parents,” JV said. “We always honor our parents. Hindi po mawawala iyon.” 

JV is the former President’s son with former actress and San Juan Mayor Guia Gomez. Jinggoy, on the other hand, is the former President’s son with his wife Loi Ejercito.

A week ago after a campaign stop of administration slate Hugpong ng Pagbabago in Manila, former President Estrada said he wants JV and Jinggoy, both Hugpong bets, to be friends with each other and win in the 2019 Senate polls.

JV and Jinggoy shared the stage with Estrada, and JV was seen kissing his father Erap on the cheek before leaving the stage for another engagement. — RSJ, GMA News