Sen. JV Ejercito
SAN JUAN, Philippines — Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito maintains that the election protest filed by San Juan City Vice Mayor Francis Zamora against his mother, newly proclaimed mayor Guia Gomez, lacks merit.
The senator denies allegations of Zamora that Gomez secured the seat through widespread vote buying in San Juan City.
He says his mother has been serving the city well for two terms already and their constituents have continued giving their trust and confidence in her governance.
Ejercito also claims that Zamora’s camp was the one that practiced vote buying.
“For so many years, they are not used to that kind of culture in San Juan. We are merit-based, performance-based. It’s just now that they put back this money scheme,”
Ejercito’s camp will file an election protest against Zamora in Commission on Elections.
Earlier, the senator attended the court’s preliminary conference for his graft case.
He claims, there were no sufficient evidence that can directly show that he used the calamity fund of the city to buy high powered firearms in 2008.
“I am very confident that if we will base it on the legal merits, there are few (evidence). I will not risk my name for a 2 million transaction or any amount for that matter,”
Meanwhile, Sen. Ejercito maintains he is confident that the Sandiganbayan 5th Division will decide on his graft case fairly and justly.
Aside from graft, Sen. Ejercito is also facing charges of illegal use of public funds in 6th Division, in which Vice Mayor Francis Zamora is also an accused.
(JOYCE BALANCIO/UNTV News)
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