JV Ejercito cancels courtesy call on half-brother at the last minute

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Jose Victor “JV”  Ejercito  was a no-show at the   office of his half-brother, acting Senate President  Jose “Jinggoy”  Estrada, who was expecting a courtesy call from the neophyte lawmaker in the Senate on Thursday.

“I thought  he (Ejercito) was coming but unfortunately, meron  yata siyang ibang lakad (he has  another engagement),”  Estrada  told  reporters.

“I was expecting him to come over but I received words that  he has an equally important things to do,” he said.

Estrada earlier told some reporters that  Ejercito  would pay a courtesy call on him at his office at around  2 p.m. Thursday.

It was  the acting Senate President  who  “advised”  Ejercito through a common friend to  pay  a courtesy  call on him since  many  neophyte senators  had  visited him at his office.

The  newly-elected senators  who paid a visit to  Estrada were  Ma. Lourdes “Nancy” Binay, Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, and Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara.

Before the scheduled visit  at his office , Estrada said he and  Ejercito were together when the newly-formed  minority bloc in the Senate met at the Office of the Vice President in  Pasay City.

And before boarding his vehicle,  Estrada  said his brother told him that he would go to his office along with Senator Binay for the planned courtesy call.

Asked  if he was offended by  Ejercito’s no-show,  Estrada said, “Hindi naman. Wala tayong magagawa e meron syang ibang lakad (Not really.  We can’t do anything about it he has another engagement).”

Estrada and Ejercito, both sons  of former president and now Manila Mayor  Joseph Estrada with different women, have  been perceived to be at odds  due to sibling rivalry.