The ‘Estrada’ edge: May polls set stage for JV, Jinggoy clash

MANILA, Philippines — Reelectionist Sen. JV Ejercito, who touts his “clean track record,” will go against his half-brother Jinggoy Estrada, who is moving to repair a political career beset by graft and plunder charges.

As the May elections drew near, politics brought their sibling rivalry to the fore once again, and both plan to capitalize on the power of the “Estrada” brand to win a seat in the Senate.

While the two landed on pollster Pulse Asia’s latest list of 14 candidates who have the potential to win in the Senate race, Jinggoy got a higher statistical ranking of 10th-14th place. JV settled on the edge of the winner’s circle, with a statistical ranking of 10th-16th place.

In terms of voters’ awareness, Jinggoy got a slightly higher score of 99% than his brother’s 98%.

JV previously acknowledged that Jinggoy enjoys the edge of using “Estrada” — the hugely popular name of a political dynasty in San Juan City where their father, disgraced former president and reelectionist Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, was mayor five decades ago. The senior Estrada was born Jose Marcelo Ejercito Sr., but adopted the name "Joseph 'Erap' Estrada" as an actor and later as a politician.

“It’s a brand name,” said JV, whose legal name is Jose Victor Gomez Ejercito.

But this time, JV made sure that voters would know he, too, is an Estrada when he filed his certificate of candidacy last year. He will use the name "Ejercito Estrada JV (NPC)" on the ballot and "JV Estrada" as a campaign nickname.

During the 2013 senatorial race, JV ran under the United Nationalist Alliance and also used “Estrada” after the name change boosted his ranking in pre-election surveys.

"The Estrada surname, an established political brand, is important for JV and Jinggoy for the purpose of gaining votes through name recall and association with their popular father," Dennis Coronacion, political science professor at the University of Santo Tomas, said in an interview.

READ: Ejercito to use 'Estrada' nickname in run for reelection

Twelve of the 24 Senate seats, as well as all lower house seats and all elected posts of local government units are up for grabs on May 13.

‘The Good One’ vs ‘Ang Tunay na Estrada’

JV is the son of the Estrada patriarch with San Juan Mayor Guia Gomez. Jinggoy, on the other hand, is the former president’s son with ex-Sen. Loi Ejercito.

Jinggoy was an action star before he first ran and won as mayor of San Juan City. He followed the footsteps of his father who started his career in show business and even used his dad's "Estrada" monicker.

Jinggoy was detained for three years over his alleged involvement in the multimillion-peso Priority Development Assistance Fund scam, also called the pork barrel scam. He is out on bail.

In 2014, JV signed a Senate committee report against his half-brother and former Sens. Juan Ponce Enrile and Bong Revilla over the alleged misuse of congressional funds.

The half-brothers have been at odds both within the family and in the political arena, and their feud seems to reflect in their respective campaign ads for the midterm elections.

JV calls himself “the good one” in his 30-second ad campaign, which focuses on his “notable” bills, particularly measures creating the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and a Universal Health Care system.

Meanwhile, the Estrada patriarch appeared at the end of Jinggoy’s ad campaign and endorsed his son. “Estradang tunay (a true Estrada),” the 82-year-old politician said.

JV earlier hoped that only one of them would gun for a Senate seat this year. Jinggoy, however, said their father has no problem with having both sons running for public office.

'Confusion'

Ahead of the COC filing for this year's poll, the Commission on Elections in October last year warned JV that while he could use “Estrada” in his reelection bid, he could find himself facing a petition to declare him as a nuisance candidate.

“He can give his name as an alias, as a nickname, but that does not stop anyone from filing a case against him,” Comelec spokesman James Jimenez previously said.

For UST’s Coronacion, JV might have made a bad decision in choosing to use the popular surname of his father to run in an election where he would clash with another Estrada heir whose name is tainted with allegations of corruption.

“Actually, there might be a confusion among the voters if both of them would use the Estrada surname since they wouldn't be able to distinguish who between the two  Estradas was involved in plunder,” Coronacion said.

“Given this situation, I think it would work out well for JV to stick with his decision of not using the Estrada surname to avoid the likelihood of being mistaken by the voters as the Estrada who was accused of committing plunder,” he added.