BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Unfazed by what he described as an “uphill battle” in the senatorial race, former Senator Juan Victor (JV) Ejercito yesterday said that he has still a mission to fulfill, which is the completion of the Universal Health Care (UHC) implementation and the creation of Department of Housing.
Ejercito, who authored the passage of UHC, said “I don’t want to leave something half-baked.”
While the UHC implementation is still a work in progress, the former senator said “the wisdom of the principal sponsor would be helpful because he knew the intent and history of the law.”
“I would be happy to see if the people can already feel it, especially now, where COVID-19 pandemic hit Filipinos badly,” he added.
Ejercito, who also supported the move to restore the Negros Island Region, landed number 13 in the 2019 senatorial race.
He admitted of having second thoughts in joining the 2022 senatorial race, with so many re-electionists and returning senatorial candidates, and having a half-brother (Jinggoy Estrada) who may again split their votes.
“I may not be well-funded, compared to other senatorial candidates,” but Ejercito, whose mother, Guia Gomez, a true bloodied Negrense, said “I think my advantage is good performance, and most importantly, my unblemished records for 18 years as a public servant, with no issue of corruption, whatsoever.”
Ejercito is also adopted as senatorial candidate of presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Panfilo Lacson, Isko Moreno and Manny Pacquiao.
This goes to show the confidence of the four presidential aspirants in me. I think that is a big plus for me, he stressed.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson also expressed his full support to the senatorial bid of Ejercito, who along with Silay City Mayor Mark Golez, paid a courtesy call on him yesterday at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City.*
