ACTOR-politician ER (Emilio Ramon) Ejercito is now free to run anew for public office. He is now poised to re-enter the political arena.

After Comelec en banc dismissed ER’s overspending case against him, he filed his COC (certificate of candidacy) for the May 12 elections, aiming for a return to local administration and governance.

The former Laguna governor is now aggressively campaigning once again for the mayorship of Pagsanjan for the coming May 12 elections.

The recent resolution marks a significant chapter in ER’s political career, as he seeks to re-establish himself within the Laguna political landscape.

Political analysts and observers will be watching closely as the elections approach, given ER‘s colorful political history and the implications of this dismissal case on Governor’s ER’s political career.

After 12 long years, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) En Banc has officially dismissed the election overspending case filed against the former Laguna governor by Edgar “Egay” San Luis and Rene A. Catarino, stemming from the 2013 gubernatorial electoral campaign.

The decision was articulated in Minute Resolution (M.R.) No. 24-0899, signed by Comelec chairman George Erwin M. Garcia and six other commissioners, and promulgated on November 5, 2024.

The Notice of Resolution was issued on January 7, 2025.

The resolution, a comprehensive 20-page document, concludes with a definitive statement: “The Commission, after due deliberation resolved, as it hereby resolves to adopt the recommendation of the Law Department to dismiss the herein listed cases in violation of Section 100 as amended, in relation to Section 262 of the Omnibus Election Code (Overspending).”

The dismissal comes amid a backdrop of 370 overspending cases that have been filed before the Comelec since 2013.

Despite the numerous allegations, only ER Ejercito faced suspension from public office during this period.

He was forced to leave the Laguna Provincial Capitol on May 30, 2014 by then President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, III following an intense standoff between law enforcement officials and Governor ER’s supporters at the Provincial Capitol of Laguna in Santa Cruz.

ER previously held the position of mayor of Pagsanjan from 2001 to 2010 (nine years) and served four years as the governor of Laguna after being elected in both 2010 and 2013.

It will be remembered that ER returned to acting after he left politics, albeit only temporarily or even while he still served.

In 2011, the son of actor George Estregan acted in Tikoy Aguiluz’s “Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story,” where he was paired opposite Carla Abellana, who portrayed his wife.

When ER’s dad died in 1988 at a young age of only 49, the son opted to use the moniker Jorge Estregan eventually as his screen name.

ER played the true-to-life role of Emilio Aguinaldo in Mark Meily’s “El Presidente,” the life story of the first Philippine President.

The film became an entry in the 2012 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), with a star-studded cast including Nora Aunor, Christopher de Leon, Cesar Montano, Jeffrey Quizon, Christine Reyes, Alan Paule, Allen Dizon and Baron Geisler.

In 2013, ER also fielded another MMFF entry, Chito Roño’s “Boy Golden: Shoot To Kill,” where KC Concepcion became his leading lady.

The supporting cast of the real-life story loosely based on the life of notorious criminal Arturo Porcuna, who rides through the Manila gang underworld in the 1960s, included Eddie Garcia, Tonton Gutierrez, John Estrada, Roi Vinzon and Mon Confiado.

A very young Guelan Luarca who would later win his Palanca award, debuted then in writing his first screenplay for “Boy Golden,” with Cathy Camarillo and even ER himself.

ER’s role in “Boy Golden,” earned for him a FAMAS best actor award in 2013.

The actor apparently took the chance to make films one after the other when he was out of the political arena.

The year 2014 saw ER as a Muslim police lieutenant who goes after a syndicate behind the kidnapping of a Muslim princess in Francis Posadas’ “Magnum Muslim .357,” also an MMFF entry with John Arcilla, Victor Basa and Maita Ejercito.

In Gabby Ramos’ “Loyalista: The Untold Story of Imelda Papin” (2023), ER even portrayed former President Ferdinand Marcos.

Since he was out of the political ring, the actor managed to accept even TV roles like in “Maging Sino Ka Man” (2023) and the action-comedy series, “Walang Matigas na Pulis sa Matinik na Misis” (2024).

ER even had a stint in “FPJ’s Ang Probinsiyano” in 2021.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Leah C. Salterio