Estrada sons end feud, campaign together in Albay

San Juan Rep. Jose Victor Ejercito and Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada. FILE PHOTOS

TABACO, Albay–The Estrada brothers have buried the hatchet, at least for this campaign.

For the first time, Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and San Juan City Representative Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito Estrada appeared on stage together during a rally for senatorial candidates of the United Nationalist Alliance here Sunday night.

They acknowledged each other, and Estrada endorsed Ejercito. The brothers even danced briefly together on stage, upon the prodding of UNA hosts and comedians Tia Pusit and Gary Lim.

But despite acknowledging each other, the Estrada brothers did not go near each other nor shake hands on stage.

Tension earlier erupted between the two sons of former President Joseph Estrada after the senator’s plan to appear on a TV commercial for Ejercito fell through due to conflicts with the latter’s advertisement plan.

Ejercito told reporters in Tabaco that he and Estrada are not close, but they are not feuding. Estrada’s endorsement of him is most welcome, and he is grateful for it, he said.

“It’s good that we’re both here. If the news is true that we don’t get along, we will not appear on the same stage, will we?” he told reporters.

“We are not close but we are not fighting anymore. That’s more important,” he added.

Estrada, for his part, told reporters that he appeared in the Tabaco sortie to endorse all UNA senatorial candidates. He also said he was tasked by his father and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile to stand as their proxy.

“We’re all helping each other to win,” he said.

During the rally, Ejercito was first to acknowledge Estrada, greeting and calling the latter as the handsomer brother– but only at night, he jokingly added– before launching into his campaign spiel.

When it was Estrada’s turn to speak, he first talked up the other UNA senatorial bets before discussing his brother.

“You thought I forgot him?” Estrada asked the crowd before jokingly clearing his throat for a few seconds.

He then introduced his brother as the representative from San Juan who is running for Senator.

He said Ejercito had many bills in the House of Representatives that became laws.

Taking off from Ejercito’s earlier statement, he added: “But you can see the evidence that I am much more handsome than he is.”

At one point, hecklers in the crowd taunted the senator with calls of “kiss, kiss,” apparently prodding him to kiss and make up with his brother.  He jokingly told them to keep quiet.

He ended his speech by telling the crowd not to forget to vote for his brother, even using the latter’s campaign name JV Ejercito Estrada.

Ejercito goes by his real last name in the House of Representatives, but added “Estrada” to his name for the campaign. Estrada is his father’s screen name.

When the time came for UNA officials to raise the arms of all the candidates on stage, the brothers did not stand beside each other.

Estrada was between Milagros Magsaysay and Jack Enrile and raised their hands, while Ejercito was a few feet away beside Nancy Binay.

Ejercito later said he and Estrada did not have the chance to speak to each other after the rally because reporters had hounded them for interviews.