JV-Jinggoy rivalry may heat up 2019 Senate race

Senator JV Ejercito and former senator Jinggoy Estrada

TACLOBAN CITY – Sibling rivalry may just heat up the senatorial elections next year.

Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito didn’t mind that half-brother, Jinggoy Estrada, was planning to reclaim his old seat in the Senate.

“It’s a free country. Hindi naman pwede pigilan kung sino man ang may gusto tumakbo (I cannot stop anyone who wanted to run). He (Estrada) has reasons for running. I have reasons for running,” the senator said.

He, however, admitted that having the two sons of former president Joseph Estrada in the Senate race might affect their candidacy since the support would be divided.

Ejercito, chair of the Senate committee on housing, was in Tacloban City on Thursday to inspect the housing projects intended for survivors of supertyphoon “Yolanda.”

Estrada, who is out on bail on plunder charges, planned to run for senator in 2019 polls.

Asked how was his relationship with his half-brother, Ejercito replied: “Not so good.”

Asked if he was willing to support to his half-brother’s candidacy, he tossed the question back.

“Tanungin ninyo muna siya kung susuportahan niya ako (Ask him first he is willing to support me),” he said.

The two are sons of former president and now Manila Mayor Estrada with different women. Estrada is the eldest son of the mayor with wife, Loi who also served was also a senator.

Ejercito is the son of the former president with Guia Gomez, mayor of San Juan City.

The two had served as members of the 16th Congress with Estrada was about to end his term while

Ejercito was newly-elected senator.

But if both will run and win in the 2019 elections, it will be the first time that they will both become members of the Senate at the same time, serving similar terms.