FILE PHOTO: Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito. Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB
MANILA, Philippines — Senator JV Ejercito said he is unaffected by the onslaught of attacks he’s been receiving from vloggers and “trolls” following his expression of frustration towards groups allegedly supporting China despite its aggression in the West Philippine Sea.
Ejercito said his critics do not bother him, declaring he “knows deep in [his] heart and mind that [he] is fighting for the country’s sovereignty.”
“Doing so does not mean I am inciting an armed conflict, far from it. But I cannot and will not fall for the aggressor’s narrative,” he explained in a statement Friday.
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On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Ejercito posted: “Walang masama sa pagiging makabayan! Hindi ako pro-US, ako ay Pro-Filipino. Inaagaw na ang teritoryo natin ng harap-harapan, ganyan pa ang banat ng ilan grupo sa mga pumapalag sa pambabastos ng Tsina?”
(There is nothing wrong with being patriotic! I’m not pro-US, I’m pro-Filipino. Our territory is being seized face-to-face, but that’s how some groups complain about China’s disrespect?)
The senator’s statement garnered mixed reactions from netizens. Ejercito said he was aghast that some Filipinos are even willing to side with “those who are occupying” the territory of the Philippines.
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