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Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito will not take over
the final slot in the Genuine Opposition’s senatorial ticket that
had been reserved for independent candidate Francis Pangilinan.
“We had already stated our word
that I will for the moment drop my senatorial aspirations. We give
value to our promises and statements,” Ejercito said Friday,
dousing reports he would be named as the 12th GO candidate.
Ejercito said he was deep into
campaign preparations for a third and final term mayor of San Juan.
The former President Joseph
Estrada had asked Ejercito, his son, to set aside his plans for a
senatorial seat for the good of the party. Sen. Luisa “Loi”
Estrada, the ex-president’s wife, was also asked not to run, and
was replaced by the widow of former Sen. Raul Roco, Sonia.
“This is where the Estrada clan
differs from the ‘other’ political clan,” Ejercito said,
referring to the Arroyos.
In an open letter published in
several newspapers, former Sen. Francisco Tatad accused several
lawmakers of establishing a dynasty by fielding one or more of their
relatives in the May election.
GO removed Pangilinan from its
line-up and declared that it was running with an 11-man ticket after
he failed to attend the proclamation rally of the opposition
Saturday last week.
The name of former Sen. Gregorio
Honasan, another independent candidate, had surfaced as a possible
replacement.
The Liberal Party headed by its
president Sen. Franklin Drilon had warned GO to stick to the
original agreement of not scrapping Pangilinan, a party member.
Adel Tamano, spokesman for GO,
said they have not named a replacement for Pangilinan.
Rumors that Ejercito would fill
the vacancy spread just before the GO media briefing on Friday.
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