The Estrada-Ejercito clan came out in full force on Sunday for the grand rally of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino-Team One San Juan along Pinaglabanan Street, San Juan City.
Senatorial candidate Jinggoy Estrada led the party’s official slate for the city led by his daughter, Vice Mayor Janella Ejercito Estrada, who is running for mayor to replace incumbent Guia Gomez.
Others on the PMP slate are Councilor Leonardo Boy Celles for Vice Mayor, actor-politician Edu Manzano for Congressman, and the councilors for the city’s two political districts.
Members of different sectoral groups, non-government organizations, the city’s Muslim community, persons with disabilities, Senior Citizens, Pink Ladies, the Movement for Good Governance, Partido Magdiwang, JELS Army and others attended the grand rally.
The program began with a people’s march where the candidates and volunteers visited the different barangays and then gathered at the monument of national hero Gat Andres Bonifacio at Pinaglabanan.
The march aimed to show the city’s residents the unity of the PMP-Team One San Juan slate for the betterment of the citizens.
Also attending the march was former President and current Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, who was San Juan’s chief executive for over two decades, along with performers Jinky Vidal, Duncan Ramos, Boobsie, Norman Mitchell, and Ex Batallion.
Earlier, pundits said the perception of San Juan City voters about former Senator Jinggoy Estrada could affect the outcome of the tight race for the mayoralty between incumbent Vice Mayor Janella Ejercito Estrada and her rival, former Vice Mayor Francis Zamora.
The former senator has appeared at events in the city to support 29-year-old Janella, who may benefit from Jinggoy’s deep roots in San Juan, where he served as mayor from 1992 to 2001.
The Ejercito-Estrada family, which has controlled the mayoralty for 50 years, has made an effort to put up a united front.
Incumbent Senator JV Ejercito has also endorsed Janella, who was picked by his mother Gomez, for mayor.
Jinggoy has also appeared alongside his daughter in media interviews.
Janella has said he will accept advice from her family but make her own decisions, like the way she has navigated her tenure as vice mayor.