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JV laments not being part of UniTeam but OK with campaigning independently

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Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="2022 senatorial aspirant JV Ejercito during a campaign sortie in Pangasinan, in this photo he shared on his Facebook account last Feb. 27, 2022. " src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/03/18/2022-senatorial-aspirant-jv-ejercito-31282022.jpg"/><figcaption>2022 senatorial aspirant JV Ejercito during a campaign sortie in Pangasinan, in this photo he shared on his Facebook account last Feb. 27, 2022. </figcaption></figure></div><p>&quot;Sayang, wala ako.&quot;</p><p>Former senator JV Ejercito&#x27;s pronouncement Thursday was in reference to his non-inclusion in the UniTeam senatorial lineup, following his inability to commit his full loyalty to the camp of presidential aspirant Ferdinand &quot;Bongbong&quot; Marcos Jr. and vice presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Carpio.</p><p>&quot;N&#x27;ung una, andun ako sa initial slate list ni BBM. Kaya lang, n&#x27;ung nagkaroon na ng UniTeam, nagsama na yung BBM-Sara, parang kailangan talaga full commitment,&quot; Ejercito said.</p><p>&quot;Kaya lang, I&#x27;m NPC (Nationalist People&#x27;s Coalition). Hindi kami basta lumilipat para lang sa eleksyon. Saka sabi ko, I&#x27;m adopted by others also.&quot;</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Senatorial aspirant JV Ejercito speaks to the press on March 18, 2022 in Tantangan, South Cotabato. Photo by Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/03/18/jv-ejercito-3182022.jpg"/><figcaption>Senatorial aspirant JV Ejercito speaks to the press on March 18, 2022 in Tantangan, South Cotabato. Photo by Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/02/21/jv-ejercito-files-coc-for-senator-in-halalan2022">JV Ejercito eyes comeback, files COC for senator in #Halalan2022</a></li></ul><p>The UniTeam&#x27;s official senatorial lineup so far includes the following:</p><p>1. Former presidential spokesman Harry Roque<br/>2. House lawmaker Rodante Marcoleta<br/>3. Lawyer Larry Gadon<br/>4. Former Public Works Secretary Mark Villar<br/>5. Former Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista<br/>6. Former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro<br/>7. Antique Rep. Loren Legarda<br/>8. Sen. Migz Zubiri<br/>9. Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian<br/>10. Former DICT Secretary Gregorio Honasan<br/>11. Former Sen. Jinggoy Estrada</p><div><script src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v2.5" async="" type="text/javascript"></script></div><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/uniteamofficial/posts/128876032988978" data-width="auto"> </div><p>Last month, Duterte-Carpio included the name of actor Robin Padilla when she announced the UniTeam&#x27;s senatorial lineup. Marcos&#x27; camp, however, clarified that Padilla&#x27;s inclusion is not yet final.</p><p>Ejercito and Padilla are among a set of seven &quot;friends&quot; Duterte-Carpio has been endorsing, but are not part of the UniTeam&#x27;s senatorial slate. </p><p>The others are Sen. Joel Villanueva, Sorsogon Gov. Francis &quot;Chiz&quot; Escudero, former Vice President Jejomar Binay, former presidential chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo, and former Philippine National Police chief Guillermo Eleazar.</p><div><strong>SORTIE WITH PACMAN</strong></div><p>Ejercito for the first time on Thursday joined the sortie of PROMDI standard bearer Sen. Manny Pacquiao.</p><div><script src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v2.5" async="" type="text/javascript"></script></div><div class="fb-post" data-href=" https://www.facebook.com/SenJVEjercito/posts/533956561427391" data-width="auto"> </div><p>Their first meeting as Halalan 2022 candidates was in Mati, Davao Oriental, although Ejercito dropped by Pacquiao&#x27;s event just to greet him.</p><p>After taking a selfie with Pacquiao, Ejercito immediately left the venue.</p><p>Ejercito is one of Team Pacquiao-Atienza&#x27;s guest senatorial candidates, a status that he also enjoys in the tandem of Sen. Panfilo &quot;Ping&quot; Lacson and Senate President Vicente &quot;Tito&quot; Sotto III. The latter heads the NPC.</p><p>The senatorial aspirant assured both camps that he will not choose one over the other camp&#x27;s presidential candidate.</p><div><strong> DETERMINED TO WIN</strong></div><p>Ejercito, who lost in his reelection bid in 2019, said that this time, he is more determined to win, and he would have to prioritize himself first.</p><p>Thus, sticking with one presidential candidate will not be productive for him, he said.</p><p>Asked if he will eventually endorse one, Ejercito said: Sa ngayon, hindi na muna.&quot;</p><p>He said he opts to campaign alone most of the time and &quot;independently&quot; so he can visit more provinces and municipalities to explain his platform.</p><p>He also sees such development as a &quot;blessing in disguise&quot; to avoid a repeat of the 2019 elections where he and half-brother Jinggoy Estrada were both with Duterte-Carpio&#x27;s &quot;Hugpong ng Pagbabago.&quot;</p><p>&quot;I think it was unfair and unjust, kasi sayang yung accomplishments ko like Universal Health Care Act, Department of Housing, among others. Ni hindi napag-usapan yun eh,&quot; he said of the elections three years ago.</p><p>Campaigning now as though he is an &quot;independent candidate&quot; is more effective for him, he added.</p><p>But he is also looking forward to wooing voters with Pacquiao, whose campaign approach is also localized, said Ejercito.</p><p>As for Pacquiao, whose campaign approach is also localized, Ejercito said, he is also looking forward to woo voters with him.</p><div><strong> FROM THE ARCHIVES</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/duYZxD8H80E?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

Former senator JV Ejercito laments not being part of the UniTeam senatorial lineup, following his inability to commit his full loyalty to the BBM-Sara camp.

JV laments not being part of UniTeam but OK with campaigning independently

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JV laments not being part of UniTeam but OK with campaigning independently

Sherrie Ann Torres,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 18, 2022 08:49 PM PHT

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