Former senator Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito will be seeking a return in the Senate in the 2022 elections.
In an online press briefing Friday, September 24, Ejercito announced that he will be running again for senator.
He said he had informed his father, ex-President Joseph "Erap" Estrada, about his plan. Estrada, he said, "respected his decision", even if this would mean that he and his brother, former senator Jinggoy Estrada, could again face off in the 2022 polls.
"Our voters deserve better choices, our country deserves the good ones," he said.
"I believe our people deserve the good one in the Senate," he added, alluding to his slogan during the 2019 midterm elections.
Ejercito, in 2019, was short of some 200,000 votes behind Senator Nancy Binay, who secured the 12th Senate spot.
Jinggoy, meanwhile, was at 15th place.
Believing that their supporters were split between them, they previously said that only one Estrada should run in 2022.
"Sabi niya bahala na kayo, malalaki na kayo (My father said we're old enough, we're on our own)," Ejercito said.
In pursuing another Senate bid, he said he hoped to continue his advocacy for health and infrastructure.
"Nais ko sana ipagpatuloy ang aking adbokasiya para sa Universal Health Care upang mapalakas lalo ang ating health care system para sa mga suusnod pang pandemya (I wanted to continue my advocacy for Universal Health Care to strenghten the country's health care system for future pandemics)," said the former chairperson of the Senate committee on health.
"The pandemic has exposed the weakness of our health care system," he added.
"Nais ko rin ipagpatuloy ang aking adbokasiya para sa infrastructure development (I also was to pursue my advocacy for infrastructure development)...We need to put up modern public transportation...to stimulate economic growth all over the country," Ejercito further said.
"Ito ang mga dahilan kung bakit ako nagdesisyon na humarap sa ating mga kababayan at kumandidato pagka-senador sa halalan 2022 (These are the reasons why I am have decided to face our countrymen and run for senator in the 2022 election)," he said.
Ejercito also thanked his party mate in the Nationalist People's Coaliation (NPC) Senate President Vicente Sotto III, and Partido Reporma chair Senator Panfilo Lacson, for initially listing him as one of the tandem's senatorial candidates.
Lacson will run for president, while Sotto will run for vice president.
He also admitted being encouraged by his inclusion in the line-up of other political parties and potential presidential candidates.
Asked about Jinggoy's possible senatorial bid, Ejercito told reporters that he did not want to dwell anymore on their rivalry, recalling that in 2019, people focused more on their family issues than their platforms and programs for the government.