“I really want to thank her for endorsing my daughter,” says Sen. Jinggoy. “Malaking bagay yun and we’re grateful.”
“Nagpapasalamat talaga akong naging very supportive siya sa akin ever since maging councilor ako in 2013 when I was only 23,” says Janella. “After being a councilor, I won as vice mayor in 2016 and in those six years that I’ve been in office, I’ve realized that this is really my calling, to serve the people of San Juan. I have my own grandfather, father and uncle to follow as they’ve all served as San Juan mayor. Nakagisnan ko na ang paglilingkod nila and they served as good examples for me in serving our city.”
What’s her dad’s biggest advice to her? Sen. Jinggoy himself answers: “Gaya rin ng sinabi sa’kin ng dad ko when I first became vice mayor: huwag na huwag ko raw siyang ipapahiya sa mga kababayan namin sa San Juan. And I really did my best to serve our people. Ang maganda kay Janella, nakita ko ang kanyang dedication and determination to serve early on. Sincere siya in trying to help the people kasi umiikot talaga siya mga barangay to personally find out what they need.”
“When I started, people just refer to me as anak ni Jinggoy or apo ni Erap,” says Janella. “Andaming namba-bash sa’kin but I used them na lang as my inspiration to do better in my job. Inaral ko talaga lahat ng ordinances and resolutions sa council para hindi masabing wala akong alam.”
Janella is a political science graduate in La Salle so she knows what she’s getting into. Aspiring to be the next mayor, she has bigger plans for San Juan and her constituents. “I promise I won’t fail them.”
As for Sen. Jinggoy, he’s glad to be free after three years of detention. “It’s nice to be back. Na-miss ko talaga ang showbiz. Balak ko nga sana to do a family comedy, kaya lang yung gusto kong namang leading lady (Eugene Domingo), hindi raw puede at sobrang busy. E, ayan, magpa-file na ako ng application sa COMELEC in October, so hindi na puede.”
Does he miss anything inside his former detention camp? “Wala. Biro nyo, wala kaming ginawa ni Bong (Revilla) kundi kumain, mag-ensayo, matulog, manood ng sports channel sa TV, kaya wala akong anumang mami-miss sa loob, except si Pareng Bong. I always pray for him and I ask all our friends na ipagdasal din siya para makalaya na rin siya as soon as possible. I try to visit him as often as I can para palakasin ang loob niya.”
His half brother JV said he’s hoping only one of them will run for senate so as not to divide the votes. “Payag naman ang dad namin for both of us to run. Puede naman kasi nagawa na naman namin yan before na sabay kaming nasa senado. He said then that he’ll make the act of supreme sacrifice na hindi na siya tatakbo kung tatakbo ako. Ewan ko lang kung tototohanin niya.”
His daughter Janella is 28 and single. Won’t he advice her to get married so San Juan will have a first gentleman? “Naku, matanda na siya. Bahala na siyang mag-decide sa buhay niya tungkol sa mga bagay na yan.”
#ShowbizPortal #JinggoyEstrada #JanellaEstrada #politics
