JV Ejercito says disagreement with Sen. Estrada mostly ‘political issues’

San Juan Representative Joseph Victor Ejercito. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — San Juan City Representative Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Thursday clarified that he had not meant to hurt his half-brother Senate President Pro-Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada by airing comments on their supposed sibling rivalry in a recent interview.

In a statement, Ejercito said that he has always respected the senator but admitted that they disagreed on certain “mostly political issues.”

“For my part, I will always try to bridge the gap that separates us, considering our family’s circumstances. I’m sure my Kuya Jinggoy will reciprocate the effort,” he said.

Ejercito had earlier told members of the media in an interview in Bacolod City how disagreements between them could reach the Senate should the San Juan City lawmaker win in the 2013 midterm polls. Estrada did not take the remarks lightly and earlier said that he had been “deeply hurt” by them.

“I don’t hide the fact that I disagree with him on certain, mostly political, issues. However, I’ve never said or done anything that would lead anybody to conclude our relationship is hostile or antagonistic,” Ejercito said.

He admitted telling reporters that they were “not ‘buddy-buddy’ or even ‘text mates’ but were civil to each other” but added that he was merely responding to a journalist’s question which “insinuated” sibling rivalry between them.

“If my answers in that interview hurt him, that was not my intention.  Neither did I mean to gain political capital at his expense by making our disagreement public,” said Ejercito.

The term sibling rivalry was the reporter’s, he added.

“I think we should be able to transcend our petty differences in order to redeem that promise, something our father, former President Joseph Estrada, wanted us to do,” he said.