JV Ejercito | |
|---|---|
 Official Senate portrait, 2025 | |
| Senate Deputy Majority Leader | |
| Assumed office July 23, 2024 Serving with Mark Villar (until June 30, 2025) Rodante Marcoleta (July 30, 2025 - September 8, 2025) Risa Hontiveros (since September 9, 2025) | |
| Leader | Francis Tolentino (until June 30, 2025) Joel Villanueva (until September 8, 2025) Migz Zubiri (since September 8, 2025) |
| In office August 2, 2022 – May 20, 2024 Serving with Mark Villar | |
| Leader | Joel Villanueva |
| Senator of the Philippines | |
| Assumed office June 30, 2022 | |
| In office June 30, 2013 – June 30, 2019 | |
| Chair of theSenate Local Government Committee | |
| Assumed office July 26, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Francis Tolentino |
| Chair of theSenate Tourism Committee | |
| Assumed office July 29, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Lito Lapid |
| Chair of theSenate Health and Demography Committee | |
| In office February 27, 2017 – June 30, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Risa Hontiveros |
| Succeeded by | Bong Go |
| Chair of theSenate Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement Committee | |
| In office July 22, 2013 – June 30, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Bongbong Marcos |
| Succeeded by | Francis Tolentino |
| Member of theHouse of Representatives fromSan Juan | |
| In office June 30, 2010 – June 30, 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Ronaldo Zamora |
| Succeeded by | Ronaldo Zamora |
| 17thMayor of San Juan | |
| In office June 30, 2001 – June 30, 2010 | |
| Vice Mayor | Boy Celles |
| Preceded by | Jinggoy Estrada |
| Succeeded by | Guia Gomez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Joseph Victor Gomez Ejercito (1969-12-26)December 26, 1969 (age 55) Manila, Philippines |
| Political party | NPC (2018–present)[1] |
| Other political affiliations | UNA (2012–2018)[2][3] PMP (2001–2018)[1] |
| Spouse | [4] |
| Relations | Ejercito family |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Joseph Estrada Guia Gomez |
| Residence | San Juan, Metro Manila |
| Alma mater | De La Salle University (BA) |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Website | jvejercito |
Joseph Victor Gomez Ejercito (Tagalog pronunciation:[ʔɛˌhɛːɾ.sɪˈto];[5] born December 26, 1969), also known asJV Ejercito Estrada or simplyJV Ejercito,[3] is a Filipino politician and businessman serving as aSenator since 2022 and previously from 2013 to 2019. He had also served as therepresentative ofSan Juan from 2010 to 2013 and was the city's mayor from 2001 to 2010. He is a son of former presidentJoseph Estrada, and a half-brother of SenatorJinggoy Estrada.
After his father and half-brother were arrested for plunder on April 25, 2001, Ejercito was among the politicians who spoke against theSecond EDSA Revolution at pro-Estrada rallies that preceded theMay 1 riots nearMalacañang Palace.[6][7]
Ejercito credits himself as the author of the Universal Health Care Act of the Philippines.[8]
Joseph Victor "JV" G. Ejercito was born December 26, 1969, inManila to actorsJoseph Ejercito Estrada, the then mayor-elect ofSan Juan (then a municipality ofRizal), andGuia Gomez, who is also a businesswoman. His given name Joseph Victor is derived from his father and the latter's electoral protest victory to become San Juan mayor in the same year, respectively.[9]
He attendedXavier School for his primary and secondary education and completed hisBachelor of Arts in Political Science atDe La Salle University.[10]
On February 27, 2001, Ejercito filed his candidacy to run for mayor of San Juan. Despite his father's removal from office asPresident of the Philippines due to theSecond EDSA Revolution a month prior, Ejercito stated that in San Juan, "there is still a strong clamor for me to run."[11] He eventually served as mayor for three consecutive terms from 2001 to 2010. It was during his term when San Juan was converted into a highly urbanized city in 2007. He was succeeded by his motherGuia Gomez.
During the2010 elections, Ejercito ran for the position of representative for thelone district of San Juan. Over the course of his term, Ejercito authored or sponsored 161 bills and House measures, five of which were approved by theHouse and passed to theSenate for consideration:[12]
On October 1, 2012, Ejercito filed his certificate of candidacy for the2013 Philippine Senate election, where he won as the 11th placer out of 12 winning senators elected.[18]
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 onchild safety seats when riding in a vehicle.[19]
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 P2.1 million in calamity funds during his term as San Juan mayor.[20] Ejercito and his co-accused were acquitted in August 2017.[21][22]
Ejercito ran and launched a campaign to secure a second consecutive term in the2019 Philippine Senate election, his candidacy was endorsed by PresidentRodrigo Duterte.[23] His half-brother, former SenatorJinggoy, who was previously jailed and charged with multiple counts of plunder in 2014, also sought a Senate return. During the campaign, the siblings had a disagreement[24] 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. Eventually, the half-siblings both lost as Ejercito ended up in 13th place, just a spot outside the winning circle, while Estrada finished at 15th place. After conceding defeat, Estrada wished that SenatorNancy 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".[25]
.png)
Ejercito sought for a comeback to the Senate in2022 and won as the 10th placer, earning his second nonconsecutive term.[26] His half-brother Jinggoy Estrada was also successful as he placed 12th.[27] In August 2022, he was elected deputy majority leader, alongsideMark Villar, and chair of the Senate Committee on Local Government and the Senate Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement.[28] On May 20, 2024, he stepped down as deputy majority leader following changes in the Senate leadership that saw the resignation ofMigz Zubiri as Senate President.[29]
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 CommissionedReserve Officer of thePhilippine Marine Corps with the rank ofMajor. He is an adopted member of thePhilippine Military Academy Class of '88,Maringal.
Ejercito has a tattoo on his right arm: A redeight-rayed sun with thebaybayin character forka at the center, and the phrasePara sa Bayan ("For the country") and the letter "K" on top of the sun.[30] He has alsoraced in theToyota Vios Cup.[31][32] He is also an avid cyclist, having received attention for biking from his residence in San Juan to the Senate building inPasay,[33] and for an incident where he fell off his bike after tripping on apothole alongRoxas Boulevard a year prior.[34]
[Feliciano] Belmonte [or Bacolod] admitted he decided to march to the presidential palace after Estrada's son, JV Ejercito, urged the crowd to do so.
10 p.m. – JV Ejercito and other speakers echo [Miriam Defensor Santiago's] call to march on Malacañang.
Senatorial history of JV Ejercito | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
