Zamora ends Estrada clan’s 50-year control over San Juan

PDP-Laban candidate Francis Zamora defeats Janella Ejercito Estrada, whose relatives have been mayors of San Juan City, starting with her grandfather, former president Joseph Estrada

MANILA, Philippines – Francis Zamora defeated Janella Ejercito Estrada in the race for San Juan City mayor, ending the the powerful Ejercito-Estrada 5 decades control over the city.

With 90% of clustered precincts having transmitted results shortly before 10 pm Monday, May 13, results show that Zamora's lead over Estrada was irreversible, even if 3 more clustered precincts had yet to send results. 

The 3 awaited clustered precincts have only 2,000-plus voters. 

As of 9:33 pm, Zamora got more than 34,000 votes against Estrada's 23,998. 

Zamora's father Ronaldo also won the congressional race with more than 34,000 against challenger Edu Manzano's 22,858 votes.

Zamora ran his campaign on the promise of a new San Juan, offering its residents free WiFi in all public areas, high-rise in-city housing, and affordable healthcare. He also promised to lead the city in becoming a smart city that would compete once more with wealthy neighbors Makati, Taguig, and Quezon City.

Estrada, meanwhile, anchored her campaign on the legacy of her family, which could be traced as far back as when Joseph Estrada first won as mayor in 1969. The former president was succeeded by Janella’s father Jinggoy, her uncle JV Ejercito, and JV's mother Guia Gomez. 

Zamora is the son of longtime congressman Ronaldo Zamora, who is seeking to clinch his 9th term as the representative of the lone district of San Juan City. The Zamoras are running under the ruling PDP-Laban while Estrada is the candidate of her grandfather's party, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino.

Victory is sweeter for Zamora as this is his second time to run for San Juan mayor. In 2016, he lost in his first bid against Guia Gomez, JV Ejercito's mother, by just by over 1,000 votes.

Zamora backed a recall petition in 2017 until 2018, but it lapsed after the local Commission on Elections failed to verify the signatures and set a date for the recall polls within the permitted period of at least over a year before the 2019 regular elections. 

AdChoiceTV News, Robi Chan contributed to this report.