(BUSINESS MIRROR) Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Tuesday led senators in honoring former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada and his wife former Sen. Luisa “Loi” Ejercito Estrada for their services to the Filipino people.
The Senate adopted Senate Resolution Nos. 1295 and 1296 honoring and commending Estrada, who was elected senator in the first post-Edsa elections in 1987, and went on to become vice president and later president for a short-lived term.
His wife Loi was later elected senator after his term as president. The Senate now counts two of the ex-President’s sons as members, both holding key positions: Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, his eldest son by Dra. Loi; and Jinggoy’s half brother, Deputy Majority Leader Jose Victor “JV” Ejercito.
In his acceptance speech, read for him by son Jinggoy, Estrada said his experiences in the Senate have significantly shaped his journey in public service. “Looking back, I never imagined that a college dropout and former actor would be able to serve the highest offices of government. Public service has never been easy but my commitment has never wavered as I have drawn strength from those I love and cherish most: my family,” Estrada said.
The former president said he accepted the recognition with the deepest appreciation for “everyone who has walked the path” with him and expressed his gratitude to his colleagues, both past and present, for the lessons learned and friendships formed.
Sen. Nancy Binay said former Sen. Dra. Luisa “Loi” Ejercito Estrada poured her efforts into serving the underprivileged in various government hospitals such as the San Lazaro Hospital, National Institute for Mental Health, St. Martin de Porres Charity Hospital, and the Davao General Hospital. In her sponsorship speech on Senate Resolution No. 1296 commending and honoring the former senator, Binay stressed that it is a mistake to call Sen. Loi as simply Erap’s wife, “for she has a track record to prove that she is much more than that.” This is on top her crucial role as the First Lady of the former president, she said.
“I cannot help but draw parallels with my own mother [Dr. Elenita Binay, wife of former vice president Jejomar Binay], who also happens to be a doctor. Perhaps because of their profession, they have given a face of compassion and care to the leadership of their partners, especially since they focused on issues such as health, education, and family,” Binay said. “Which is why much like President Erap, Sen. Loi retains a fond place in our national consciousness. Countless Filipinos have valued her efforts to serve the people, and the authenticity and warmth which underpinned her service,” she added.
Delivering his own remarks, Senate President Pro Tempore Estrada described as humbling the tribute honoring his parents. In his manifestation before the adoption of Senate Resolution Nos. 1295 and 1296, Estrada said, “It is an honor beyond words – one that my family and I will cherish forever. Hearing your tributes to my parents reminded me of the values they instilled in us: integrity, dedication, and a profound sense of responsibility to serve our fellow Filipinos. These are the values I strive to uphold in my own journey as a public servant,” Estrada said on Tuesday, February 4, 2025.
Sen. “JV” Ejercito said the impact of his father’s work could still be felt in the Senate today. He said his father advised him to always side and always fight for the greatest good and the greatest number when he first went into public service. “He told me to always fight for the poor people,” Ejercito said. The senator said his advocacies for nationalism and sovereignty were influenced by his father.
In 1991, then senator Joseph Estrada was one of the dozen senators to vote “No” to the extension of the bases treaty with the United States, ending nearly 90 years of American presence in several military sites in the Philippines, the biggest being in Clark, Pampanga, and Subic in Olongapo. The former president recalled in his acceptance speech that he was “one of those invited” by then President Corazon C. Aquino to the premier guesthouse in Malacanang, to appeal to them to give the US an extension. “It was very difficult” to say ‘no’ to Mrs. Aquino, he recalled, but he nonetheless made the decision to vote against extension.
In 1998, Estrada handily beat the Lakas candidate and running mate of Fidel V. Ramos, then-Speaker Jose de Venecia, and became president, albeit only for two years. He left Malacanang in January 2001, as tens of thousands threatened to march on the palace. He later said he wanted to avoid bloodshed, but the Supreme Court deemed his case one of “constructive resignation” and upheld the assumption to the presidency by his then vice president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.