ER Ejercito votes, vies for Laguna gubernatorial post

MANILA – Emilio Ramon "ER" Ejercito cast his vote at the Francisco Benitez Memorial School in Pagsanjan, Laguna on Monday morning.

Ejercito, nephew of former President and reelectionist Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, is again running for Laguna governor.

He is running against against reelectionist Ramil Hernandez of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan.

ER Ejercito, bumoboto na sa Francisco Benitez Memorial School sa Pagsanjan, Laguna. Tumatakbo siya para gobernador ng Laguna | via @Dennis_Datu #Halalan2019 pic.twitter.com/Ze5UDAEmkU

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) May 13, 2019

Just last month, the Sandiganbayan found Ejercito guilty of graft over an anomalous insurance plan when he was still mayor of Pagsanjan town.

Ejercito's graft case is in connection with the allegedly illegal procurement of health insurance plans for tourists and boatmen in the town of Pagsanjan, famous for its waterfalls, where he served as mayor from 2001 to 2010, before he was elected Laguna governor.

He and his co-respondents are accused of forging a memorandum of agreement with First Rapids Care Ventures (FRCV) for accident protection and financial assistance for Pagsanjan tourists and boatmen.

Under the insurance plan, tourists and qualified boatmen at the Pagsanjan Gorge Tourist Zone will receive financial assistance for loss of life or disablement, medical reimbursement, and ambulance and hospital transfer reimbursement.

The Office of the Ombudsman said Pagsanjan officials signed a contract with FRCV without prior bidding, although the company was not licensed and lacked a certificate of authority from the Insurance Commission.

In 2014, Ejercito had to vacate the gubernatorial post on orders of the Commission on Elections after he was found guilty of election overspending in the 2013 polls.

He lost his bid to return to the Laguna provincial capitol in the May 2016 elections.