Ejercito blasts call to hold recall elections in San Juan

Ejercito, former San Juan City Major, said that there was “no basis” for the city to hold recall elections since “there is no clamor from San Juaneños for it.” (Photo: Philippine News Agency)

MANILA–Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito has slammed the move of supporters of defeated mayoral candidate and former Vice Mayor Francis Zamora to file a petition calling for a recall election in San Juan City.

On Wednesday, reports showed that Zamora’s supporters led by defeated city councilor candidate Sophia Gil filed the recall petition against Mayor Guia Gomez for alleged “graft and corruption” among other complaints.

Zamora said that he did not fund the move and that his supporters filed the petition out of their free will.

Ejercito, former San Juan City Major, said that there was “no basis” for the city to hold recall elections since “there is no clamor from San Juaneños for it.”

“…There is no reason to hold recall elections in our beloved San Juan City. Accusations of fraud are also baseless since the act is virtually impossible in an automated election,” Ejercito said in a statement.

“Should San Juan’s development be stalled because of the ambition of one man?” he added, referring to Zamora. The Zamora and Estrada-Ejercito families are political enemies in San Juan.

The senator stressed that San Juan City has significantly improved under the administration of Guia and enumerated back-to-back citations of the prestigious Seal of Good Local Governance by the Department of Interior and Local Government, and an Excellent Rating from the Civil Service Commission as contained in its Anti-Red Tape Act (Arta) Report Card.

“These awards profess the good governance Mayor Guia is implementing in San Juan City, and more projects are underway such as the construction of the Hall of Justice, new San Juan Medical Center, and Rehab Center,” Ejercito said.

“Ang ganda na ng pagpapatatakbo ng San Juan (San Juan is being run well). It is rapidly developing and services are bound to further improve, then comes this recall petition from a political foe who cannot accept defeat. Amid all these progress, how can there be a loss of confidence and incompetence?” he added.