Ousted Laguna governor Ejercito files CoC

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines — Ousted Laguna Governor Jeorge “ER”  Ejercito filed his certificate of candidacy (CoC) Monday, in an apparent effort of making a comeback to Laguna’s capitol after being unseated over an election rule  violation.

Jeorge “ER” Ejercito. Photo from SCENEMA CONCEPT INTERNATIONAL INC./CONTRIBUTOR

Ejercito, an actor-turned-politician and a nephew of deposed President Joseph Estrada, arrived around 9 a.m. at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Sta. Cruz town.

Ejercito was accompanied by his running mate, Calamba City Councilor Christian Lajara, under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

Laguna Election Officer and lawyer Dioscoro Pajutan, in a phone interview, described the CoC filing as “generally peaceful,”  with reporters only tailing Ejercito. There was not a large crowd of supporters, he said, unlike when Ejercito was ordered to step down of the capitol in May 2014.

The Comelec disqualified Ejercito in the 2013 elections for campaign overspending. This paved the way for the erstwhile Laguna Vice Governor Ramil Hernandez to take over as governor.  Before vacating his  seat, Ejercito vowed to return  as  Laguna’s governor.

As of Monday noon, Ejercito and independent candidate Mateo San Sebastian have so far filed the CoCs for Laguna governor.

Hernandez of the Nacionalista Party is expected to run for governor but his camp has announced when he will file his CoC. SFM