JV Ejercito

Joseph Victor Gomez Ejercito (; born December 26, 1969), also known as JV Ejercito Estrada, is a Filipino politician who served as a senator from 2013 to 2019. He had also served as the representative of San Juan from 2010 to 2013 and was the city's mayor from 2001 to 2010. He is a son of former Philippine president Joseph Estrada, and a half-brother of former senator Jinggoy Estrada.
Ejercito credits himself as the author of the Universal Health Care Act of the Philippines.
Early life.
Joseph Victor "JV" G. Ejercito was born December 26, 1969 to the then newly elected San Juan Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and businesswoman and former mayor of City of San Juan, Guia Gomez.
Education.
He attended Xavier School for his primary and secondary education and completed his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at De La Salle University.
Political career.
San Juan mayor.
Ejercito served as mayor of San Juan for three consecutive terms from 2001 to 2010.
House of Representatives.
During the 2010 elections, Ejercito ran for the position of congressman for the lone district of San Juan. Over the course of his term, Ejercito authored and/or sponsored 161 bills and/or House measures, five of which were approved by the House and passed to the Senate for consideration:
Senate.
On October 1, 2012, Ejercito filed his certificate of candidacy for the 2013 Philippine senate elections, in which he won as the eleventh out of twelve of the senators elected.
During his six years in the Senate, Ejercito filed a total of 140 bills and resolutions. Ejercito also chaired the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs and the Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement and the Health and the Demography Committee in the 17th Congress.
He was the principal sponsor of the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act (R.A. 11229), which requires children 12 years old and below and shorter than 1.50 m (4 ft 11 in) to sit on child safety seats when riding in a vehicle.
On April 6, 2016, Sandiganbayan Fifth Division issued an arrest warrant against Ejercito and four other government officials, in connection with allegations on misuse of funds during his term as San Juan mayor. However, Ejercito was cleared of the charges because the case was dismissed.
Ejercito ran and launched a campaign to secure a second consecutive term in the 2019 Philippine Senate election, his candidacy was endorsed by President Rodrigo Duterte. His brother, former Senator Jinggoy, who was previously jailed & charged with multiple counts of plunder in 2014, also sought a Senate return. During the campaign, the siblings had a disagreement in the idea of them running at the same time, Ejercito expressed that Estrada running would "ruin his chances", he also threw shade against Estrada as he referred himself as "The Good One" in political ads. After conceding defeat, his brother Jinggoy wished that Senator Nancy Binay would make it over Ejercito, with both senators vying for the last spot in the partial and unofficial count, Ejercito responded by telling Estrada that he placed 13th in his own hometown, “Let him speak... It’s painful to accept that even in your own bailiwick you are unwanted,". Eventually, the siblings both lost as Ejercito ended up in 13th place, just a spot outside the winning circle, while Estrada finished at 15th place.
Personal life.
He is married to Hyacinth "Cindy" Lotuaco with whom he has a son, Julio Jose. He also has an older son, Jose Emilio. Joseph Victor is also a Commissioned Reserve Officer of the Philippine Marine Corps with the rank of Major. He is an adopted member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of '88, "Maringal".
Ejercito has a tattoo on his right arm: A red eight-rayed sun with the baybayin character for "ka" at the center, and the phrase "Para sa Bayan" ("For the country") and the letter "K" on top of the sun. He has also raced in the Toyota Vios Cup.