PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, May 30, raised the possibility of appointing outgoing Senator Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito to a Cabinet position.
Duterte made the remark in a meeting with the Filipino community in Tokyo.
In a speech, the President said he feels sorry that Ejercito, who joined him in his four-day working visit to Japan, lost the 2019 senatorial race.
"Ito siya, nanghinayang ako kay JV pero... Well, anyway, you are still young. May Cabinet naman ako diyan kung mag-bakante," he said, as he acknowledged Ejercito's presence at the event.
(Here he is, JV. I feel sorry about him but... Well, anyway, you are still young. There's a Cabinet post, you can have it if it's vacant.)
Despite being endorsed by Duterte, Ejercito was defeated in the May 2018 elections. He placed 13th, with votes reaching 14.313 million. Only 12 senators were elected.
Under Section 6, Article IX-B of the 1987 Constitution, defeated candidates in any election cannot be appointed to any government posts within a year after the elections. (Ruth Abbey Gita/SunStar Philippines)